My Year in England
by flowerchild1987
Summary: It seems feeling 'stuck' after a short run in college, a failed marriage, and with a dead-end job has been the start of an interesting adventure... I'm Kelsey, and my life will never be the same. I decided to live overseas for a year or so upon suggestion from my English best friend and met a certain British comedian by happenstance; here is my story. SOME CHAPTERS HAVE M CONTENT!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_**It seems feeling 'stuck' after a short run in college, a failed marriage and with a dead-end job has been the start of an interesting adventure... I**__**can't help but remember my family's reaction when I mentioned I was considering going abroad for a year or so. **_

_**"Moving overseas isn't something that should be taken lightly. We won't be there, no one you know will be there." I mentally snorted. I'm 24, have been married and divorced, and have been living on my own since eighteen. As if my first concern is my parents being there or not?**_

_**Besides, I DID have someone I knew here, and were it not for her suggesting it, I probably wouldn't have come to begin with. Bootsie (aka Cassandra) lives in Croydon. I met her online several years ago and became great friends over Instant Messenger. She suggested the idea when I had a minor melt-down about life in general and how stale it'd become. **_

_**"Maybe ya should try a change of scenery," she said and that got the ball rolling. Next thing I knew I was putting in for my passport, breaking the news to my family, and packing. **_

_**Now there I was, a few months later (October to be exact) and about two days into my new journey (finally over the jet lag); Bootsie helped me with currency changes and I slept for a good twelve hours. I'm rooming with her in her studio flat and looking for employment. We're within walking distance of almost everything so there's not much need for a car (thank goodness, I couldn't quite master driving in the suburbs of Tennessee, so driving here on the other side of everything just drives me into a slight panic). Bootsie was thinking a girl at her work might quit and I might've had a shot. You just never know what's truly in store for you unless you go outside your box... I for one am glad I did. **_


	2. Come On, Feel The Noise

"Where are we going again?" I asked Bootsie as I held on lightly to the dashboard on what should have been the driver's side of the little blue Mini Cooper.

Bootsie smiled and tossed her head which caused her long, stick straight brown and red streaked hair to fall back into place behind her shoulders. This brought attention to her black leather jacket, lacy black tank, and short, black leather skirt that was slit up the sids with knee-high black suede boots. Wearing boots 99% of the time was what had earned Cassandra the affectionate nickname of 'Bootsie.'

"You're gonna love it, I think. It's one of the best little clubs in South London!" she shouted over the radio, then turned it down a notch, "They've always got a brilliant playlist and sometimes they have theme nights."

It was in that moment I felt slightly under-dressed. Simple faded flares, black boots, and a green halter tank with criss crossed ruffles that offset my loose strawberry blonde curls and made me a little self-concious about my arms. I had lost a lot of weight over the last year but still had a little to hold onto and never could quite let go of the 'fat girl' shadow that always hung over me.

Bootsie slugged my arm, seeming to have read my mind, "Keep your hair on, love, you look fantastic!"

I couldn't help but smile. Bootsie had always managed to get me to laugh or at least crack a smile with her English euphamisms ever since we'd first met online, and tonight was no exception even though the butterflies in my stomach had turned into blind bats. I pushed my rectangular plastic brown-framed glasses up my nose and checked my reflection in the flip side of the visor. I had lined my eyes with a black liquid eyeliner and played up their blue-green hue with white, nude, and brown eyeshadows.

"Oop, here we are!" she exclaimed, screeching into a parking spot and almost sideswiping the car parked next to us.

"Learn to fuckin' drive ya daft bird!" was shouted from somewhere across the way.

Bootsie leaned up out of the car and exclaimed, "Sod off ya bloody wanker or I'll kick ya so hard you'll be arse about face!"

Muttering could be heard as she popped back into the car and grinned at me. "C'mon, then, let's go!" she chirped, getting out of the car and slamming her door as she practically bounced over to my side and opened mine.

"Why thank you," I said with a flourish as I got out and she shut it behind me. The pavement was still wet from the rain and you could still smell it in the air.

This made Bootsie giggle as she grabbed my hand and skipped ahead of me, which practically caused me to drag along behind her, "Alright, Miss Kelsey, time for your introduction to clubbing, and no better place than here in good ol' South London!"

From the outside it really didn't look much different from other clubbing establishments I had seen back in the States, and I really didn't have much to go on from the inside since I had never actually BEEN clubbing. Bootsie always found this weird and said soon as I got to her side of the pond she was taking me clubbing and that was that. Remembering this as we walked inside, I exhaled the deep breath I had been holding and looked around.

The only thing that I could gather was much different from Stateside clubbing was that there were eighteen year old kids making out in the corners and having a drink with their friends.

Bootsie guided me to the bar and turned to me with an impish look in her eyes as the barkeeper addressed her.

"Alright, Boots?"

"Hello, Horace. My usual, but make it two. This is Kelsey, my Stateside mate."

"Ooh, Stateside is it? Welcome, Miss Kelsey, yer in good hands with Boots," then he said in an asside with his hand up as if trying to block Bootsie from hearing, "A bit of a wild one, she is, but she's alright."

Bootsie laughed, "Ahh ya know me so well."

He handed us our beers, lids already popped off, and smiled as he went to attend another customer.

Bootsie placed hers to her lips and looked around. "C'mon, let's sit a mo," she took hold of my wrist and we sat in a booth-like seat across from each other. I sipped my beer for a moment and took in everything around me. Around then was when my ears caught AC/DC playing in the background.

"Mmm, this could go a few ways," she jerked her thumb up indicating the music, but then caught sight of something and snorted. "80's night," she pointed over my shoulder at a small sign along the other side of the bar.

"Oooh, cool!" I enthused, bobbing my head to the music between sips.

"Bootsie, luv!" a rather slurred male voice said. Turned out the voice belonged to a rather pimply-faced kid with longish brown curls, drainpipe pants and a striped shirt on with a suede jacket over.

"Ahh, Frankie," Bootsie smiled patiently. "How is my teenage lover tonight?"

I smiled as I remembered hearing about this guy before. He was always at this club when she visited and always begged her for a dance and was always giving her lines and trying to impress her.

"I'd be even better if I had your phone number and a dance," he grinned, revealing a toothy smile.

"I would, Frankie, but I've got me mate with me tonight; this is Kelsey. She's from the States."

I waved, "Hi."

"Alright!" he nodded and smiled a little, but then turned right back to Bootsie. "C'mon, love, just once dance? I'm sure Kelsey wouldn't mind, right?" He turned to me with an imploring look.

I shrugged and smiled, "I don't mind."

Bootsie gave me a playful kind of 'I'm gonna kill you!' look and conceded, "Fine, but you owe me and my mate here another beer!"

"Done!" he grinned as if he'd won the jackpot and held out an arm. Bootsie rolled her eyes playfully and got up, thumping him lightly on the chest as they made their way to the dance floor and 'Straight to Hell' began to play.

I couldn't help laughing as I leaned back and sipped my beer, taking note of some of the artifacts hanging on the walls and the televisions in the upper corners showing soccer (in their case, football) or a game show. People walked through either coming in or going out; I noticed out of the corner of my eye a few people walking through with their hats pulled low on their heads. I shrugged, after all I came from a ridiculous place where men let their pants hang below their behinds, so who was I to call hats being low on the head any weirder than that?

A few minutes later after the song had ended, Bootsie and Frankie came back to the table with beers in hand, Bootsie laughing and all the while. She plopped down beside me and handed me my next beer as Frankie got in the seat in front of us.

"So what you doin' over here, Kelsey? Goin' to school or somethin'?" Frankie asked me quite bluntly.

I blinked. "Er, would getting away from monotiny suffice as an answer?"

"Wha? Runnin' out on a bloke?"

"Nunce, she said monotiny, not monogamy. She means she's bored stiff!" Bootsie flicked him on the arm.

"Ohh, can't use big words on me, love, they go right over me head."

"I'll try and remember that..." I grimaced.

We all sipped our beers for a moment in silence, listening to the music and people watching. But after a little while of this I could tell Bootsie was getting a bit restless. She'd warned me she became like this when she got a bit of a buzz going. Suddenly 'Just Like Heaven' began to play and her eyes lit up.

"C'mon, darling, let's dance!" she got up and started pulling at my arm.

"Oh, I dunno..." I loved dancing, but I felt so weird doing it in front of other people.

I barely had a chance to get my second beer finished off before she pulled rather forcefully and caused me to shoot up, "Come ON!"

"I think I'll pass on this one ladies, cheers," Frankie leaned back and held up his beer to us and shook his head. Evidently The Cure weren't quite his cup of tea.

She had me by the wrist as we walked to the floor. Bootsie saw my hesitation and giggled, "Live it up, love, you're OVERSEAS, gonna have the time of your life! Start it off right, yeah? No more fear! Let go!"

I think it was a combination of her inspiring words, my first couple of beers, and the awesome beat that caused me to finally started feeling my hips sway and my arms move. She cried out in happiness as we started laughingly dancing circles around each other.

My heart swelled and everything started to sink in during those moments of dancing. I had a chance that not many people had; I was in a foreign country with a good, trusted friend where I didn't know anyone and had a clean slate. Everything was brand new. Everything had the potential to be an adventure. It wasn't an epic movie moment where everyone around us took notice and started smiling and clapping, but that was good, because had that happened I would've either packed my bags and got on a red eye home - or at least ran out to Bootsie's car and curled up in the back seat in a fetal position. But it was a good, eye-opening moment for me.

We kept on like this through 'Boys of Summer' and 'Come on Eileen,' but when 'Back in Black' came on, Frankie stepped up, a little tipsier than earlier.

"Can I cut in?"

I laughed, "Sure. Hey, where's the ladies room?" I asked Bootsie.

She pointed as she sipped on the beer Frankie just brought her, "Back there toward the back you'll see this huge fake potted plant, it'll be in a little hallway next to it, door on the right. Or the little stick bird with the dress on the sign, you get the idea."

"Thanks!" I turned and headed that way. I started digging through my pockets right about the time I saw the plant and suddenly felt my foot snag as I lurched forward. I managed a short, small yelp before I came down onto the concrete-under-tile floor; my free hand caught me before I fell on my face.

"Oh shit, you alright?" a concerned voice asked as I felt myself being helped up by a hand.

Red-faced and embarassed I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." Once I was upright I felt my knees twinge a little. I happened a glance up and saw piercing blue eyes from under a low-setting fedora; I noticed he had a five o'clock shadow and a rather long-ish, sort of flat nose.

"I'm sorry, I had my feet stuck out there, ya tripped right over them," he said.

"Is this how you usually pick up girls, mate?" someone who was sitting with him said jokingly, causing the rest of the group to chuckle. This only made my blush worse.

The guy shot them a look over his shoulder, "You sure you're alright?"

"I should've been watching where I was going..." I trailed. I was trying to look anywhere but at him and his friends, the floor in the distance seemed best.

"It's dark back here, not like you could've easily seen... Hey, let me buy you a drink, yeah?"

"Wow, Fielding, even for you that's low," another friend joked.

He rolled his eyes and whispered, "Don't pay them any mind."

I was growing more surprised and embarassed by the minute. "You really don't have to..."

"Please? I really am sorry and don't want ya to go feelin' bad about it."

I blinked and sighed, then spoke softly as I jerked my thumb back toward the restroom, "I was headed to the..."

"Oh right, right, yeah. I'll see you in a few, yeah?"

I nodded, dumbfounded, "...Sure."

Quickly I headed for the women's restroom and was thankful it was single stall. I locked the door and took a few moments to breathe, then what I was originally going to the restroom for to begin with. I had calmed a bit but was admittedly embarassed to face the guy and his friends again. I sighed and made sure my makeup was still okay, blotted a bit with tissue paper, then took a breath and walked back out.

When I walked out, he wasn't there, and the table that had housed his friends was empty. I breathed an audible sigh of relief. Maybe he changed his mind and they decided to go somewhere else. But as I made my way back toward the front of the club I saw him sitting near the far end of the bar, facing my way but looking down at his cell phone. I winced and right about that time he looked up and shut off his phone as he smiled. I smiled weakly back; embarassed as I was, that smile was contageous.

"Hello," he said as I came up beside him and took the empty stool next to him.

"Hi," I smiled, feeling my blush come back.

"What you havin', I'll have one with you," he asked and stated all at once.

"Oh, I don't know what it was called... my friend had me started on some beer," I replied, already feeling like an idiot.

He only smiled. "I've a suggestion if you like?"

I nodded, "Okay."

He turned to the bar, waiting for Horace to come over. Horace came and shook his hand, then saw me and smiled. "Meeting new people already, Miss Kelsey?"

"Kelsey, is it," the mysterious guy looked at me, smiled and nodded, then leaned to Horace, "Can I get two rum and Cokes on the rocks, please?"

"You got it," Horace nodded and went to prepare them.

"Oh, I've heard of that but never tried it. I've had Jack and Coke before," I found myself saying.

The man made a face beneath his hat, "Ehhh, rum's better."

I laughed, "I guess I'll see, huh?"

Horace came with our drinks and placed them before us. Mystery guy picked his up and held it up, "Cheers."

I picked mine up and made a gesture toward him with it, then took a sip. I could taste the alcohol a little more than I prefered and that slight burn as it went down, but it wasn't bad. We sat in silence for a moment and I discreetly studied him; he was wearing tight black pants, black cuban heel boots, and a black jacket over a black teeshirt with a low cut neck and a silver skull on it. He had reached for his phone and was looking through it and typing furiously with one thumb.

"So how long have you been here?" he suddenly asked, looking up from his phone.

"I just got here a couple of days ago. I'm just now finally recovered from the time change," I replied.

He nodded, sipped, then leaned his arm on the bar, holding his glass in his hand and stroking it with his fingers. His phone was now in his jacket pocket. "Well, welcome to this side of the pond. What's brought you here?"

I blinked and laughed, _Second time tonight! I'm probably gonna get it a lot though._

I shrugged. "Boredom? Feeling... stagnant?"

Again he nodded as a small smile curled his lips. "I've lived here all my life so it's all the same for me... but I think _you've_ come to the right place for a change of scenery."

After a moment of silence, in a moment of bravery I leaned down and peered up at him under his hat brim. This made him chuckle and smile a smile possibly brighter than the sun, "Hello."

I couldn't help but giggle myself. "Hi. I was just thinking, you know my name, but you haven't even introduced yourself."

He looked like he had been caught doing something naughty and rubbed his fingers across his upper lip and smirked, looking at me through his eyelashes. "I guess I didn't, did I?"

I shook my head with a playful smile. "Don't get me wrong, mystery guys with awesome hats are sexy as hell..." then I caught myself and clamped my hand over my mouth as my blush came back. "Sorry, I don't know what I was just doing."

He laughed a little, "I think it was called flirting."

I blushed a crimson and this just made him laugh more.

"I'm sorry. Let's start over," he lifted the brim of his hat a little to reveal that his intense blue eyes were all the more intense because of a fine black liner along his lower eyelid, and a raven black fringe that barely dipped below his left eyebrow and curved toward the back. "I'm Noel," he said quietly as he put out his hand to shake.

I gave him mine and smiled, "Kelsey... but you already knew that."

We shook once and laughed, then I couldn't help but feel I'd seen him somewhere before... but that was impossible, I'd only just met him!

"There you are, Kels! I was wondering where you'd gotten off to! Oooh, already chattin' up blokes, I see how it is, just usin' the toilet for a ru - " Bootsie was teasing me but then seemed a little surprised when she came to my side and saw the guy I was talking to.

Noel smiled and waved a little. "Hello."

"Alright. You're Noel Fielding, aren't you?" Bootsie asked after regaining her composure a bit.

He smiled that big smile and raised his hand a little, shrugging, "Guilty."

I swallowed hard and I did a double take. _Say what?_

She turned to me with a look of mock shock, which I returned with a genuine one, then she smiled back at him. "Nice to meet you, I'm her friend Bootsie."

They shook hands and Bootsie wasn't sure what to do with herself for a moment. "I think I'm gonna go make sure Frankie's not gettin' too pissed. Great kid but he likes Friday nights a little too much if you know what I mean. Oh, and uh, no one'll know you're here," she said to Noel.

He nodded and smiled, "Cheers."

Bootsie shot me a look over his shoulder that let me know I was never going to hear the end from her until I told her every little detail.

"Well that explains why you looked familiar," I said shyly, all of a sudden very concious of what I was saying and doing.

He laughed a little and nodded, "Yeah, I'm a little well known."

_A little? Even __**I**__ had a small crush on you when Bootsie made me watch The Mighty Boosh and a few episodes of Never Mind the Buzzcocks!_

I just smiled, "A little, huh?"

"A little," his smile widened.

We couldn't hold it after that and burst out giggling. Suddenly 'Cum on Feel The Noize' came on and my leg started tapping in time with the music.

"D'you wanna dance?" he asked.

I blinked, truly dumbfounded and not sure what to do. But then Bootsie's voice came into my head from not even an hour ago and I nodded, even though I was feeling the blush creep to my ears, "Sure!"

He pulled his hat down a little as he grabbed my hand and led me trotting to the floor, making those bats in my stomach turn into pterydactals and my heart skip several beats. Once he found a spot he began moving, those intense eyes focusing in on me and coaxing me to do the same. The music took hold and I started moving too, letting my hair fly this way and that as my head swayed opposite of my hips. I caught a smile curling his lips as I chanced a peek up at him and gave a half smile in return as I closed my eyes.

"You dance like a hippie!" I heard him say into my ear with a laugh.

I smirked. "I grew up on that kind of music, must have something to do with that."

"That's cute, your mum probably wasn't even out of nappies in the 60's," he teased.

I merely shrugged through my dancing, "I love all kinds of music but that era holds a special place in my heart."

He grinned, "Yeah, mine, too. How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty four," I replied.

"Ahh, you're still a _baby_, love!"

I scoffed, "Am not!"

He just playfully rolled his eyes with a smirk and kept on dancing, as did I while I shook my head mock-petulantly.

Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' came on right after and he didn't show any signs of stopping so we changed tempo pretty seamlessly.

"I love Marilyn Manson's version of this..." I blurted.

"You? Cute Little Miss Hippie Fuckin' Sunshine? I didn't see Manson being in your tastes," he sort of scoffed.

I giggled and sighed, trying not to squeal and go insane while thinking, _He called me cute! _"Did I not say a few minutes ago I love all kinds of music?"

He thought about this for a moment, "Pfft, that's been five minutes ago, I'm lucky to remember my name sometimes. Were it not for reading it in The Guardian I'd probably forget it, too."

I cackled for a moment then pulled myself together and pulled a face of pure innocense. He tried to look serious but then rolled his eyes and smirked. Then the song ended and we made our way back to the bar, when his friends came along. "Hey, you ready to go?"

He looked almost surprised to see them but then nodded, "Alright," he turned back to me, "hey, I've gotta go..."

"Sure, well hey it was nice meeting you," I smiled. "Thanks for the drink and the dance."

He smiled and leaned in to give me a hug, which caused the pterydactals to go crazy again. I returned it and got a kiss on each cheek. "Thanks, I had fun. Hey, you got a mobile?"

It took a minute to realize he was talking about a cell phone, "Oh yeah, Bootsie got it for me yesterday," I pulled it out.

"Can I get your number? I get bored sometimes and text a lot," he finished lamely, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that his friends were trying not to laugh.

"Sure," I gave him my number and I watched as he concentrated on putting the digits into his contact list, his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth as he did so.

"Right, how d'you spell yer name?"

"K-E-L-S-E-Y."

After a moment he nodded, "I've got you under 'Kelsey, American Ginger.'"

I couldn't help laughing, "Great way to remember me by!"

He smiled that megawatt smile and I felt myself melting, "That's just all that'd fit in my mobile," then he began to walk away with his friends not far behind, "cheers then, Kelsey."

I waved, "Bye." I saw him turn to his friends once, talking and laughing. I was sad to see it end but happy it had happened. I doubted I would seriously hear from him, and with good reason. Sure I could daydream, but I knew the difference between fantasy and reality and Noel Fielding and I were on two separate planes.

Regardless, part of me could hardly wait to divulge to Bootsie, while the other part of me was dreading it.


	3. My Best Monday Ever

The weekend had seen us on a small cruise on the Thames, a Rock and Roll tour having to do with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie, as well as a walking tour following the footsteps of Jack the Ripper. I even rode a double-deck bus for the first time!

I also had a wonderful time seeing The London Bridge, Parliament, and Big Ben and even rode on The London Eye, a big ferris wheel that once you get to the top, it's like you can see all of London. My camera's memory card was crammed to the max with pictures and videos of these places, as well as selfies of Bootsie and I being silly. They went to my facebook, some went to my parents via email, and to my portable hard drive, then my card was deleted to start again.

In my spare moments I found myself re-watching some Never Mind The Buzzcocks and really getting into The Mighty Boosh, and random interviews he'd done.

_I met that man, _I thought, _and he was as genuine as he is on these interviews... Wow._

Monday began us back to Bootsie working again, so I managed to sleep on the pull-out sofa bed til almost noon that day, and probably wouldn't have woken up had I not recieved a text from a weird number.

**U like this song? **

Attached was a ringtone of 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.'

Half asleep and very confused, I snuffled and texted back:

**Yeah. Who is this?**

About twenty minutes later, after I had accidentally drifted off again, I recieved a reply:

**On good days im called noel. Long as you dont call me noelle i dont really mind what you call me.**

My eyes went wide and I blinked. Noel? As in Noel Fielding, who I met at the club mere days ago? Holy...

Wait. Would Bootsie be cruel enough to pull something like this? Would she put Frankie or another friend of hers up to something like this?...

**Bootsie, this is really mean you know.**

Not even five minutes later I got a picture message; sighing I accepted. Once the message downloaded, I opened it and found a rather pouty Noel holding up a piece of paper that said, "I'M NOT BOOTSIE," in neat uppercase. Underneath it said:

**Do i look like bootsie? Dont answer that...**

I couldn't do anything for five minutes. I sat biting my hand to keep from screaming for a bit and trying to calm down. Then I laughed as I replied.

**Im sorry. She gave me a hard time about you and i thought she might be pulling a prank.**

I regretted sending something so vulnerable but got over it when he sent me his reply:

**Oh lol. Thats your ring tone now for when you text me**

**'Lucy?' Wow thanks. **

**Whats yours for me?**

I couldn't stop laughing about this so while I was recovering, I sent Bootsie a text letting her know what was going on, then replied:

**Um, I havent got one yet. Should I?**

**I'd like to see what you pick out**

**Okay... so anything by coldplay, right? :P**

**Get fucked!**

Bootsie texted back somewhere around this time wanting to know what was being discussed and why I thought she would do something so mean. I was almost to the point of tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard. I replied to her, thought about it for a minute, then went ringtone searching. I opted for 'Sympathy for The Devil,' as that was my favorite Stone's song of late.

**Fuck yea good choice... What are u doing right now besides talkin to an old man**

**Youre not that old. :P Besides, I hardly count having been married and having held down steady employment as being a baby. Im laying in bed.**

**Married?**

I hesitated a moment, a few memories flashing through my mind of my last few unhappy months with my ex husband.

**Previously. Ive been divorced almost a yr.**

**Really? Youre so young.**

Like I hadn't heard that one before... But this was the last thing I wanted to be talking about.

**Well it was a short marriage. Anyway...** **what are you doing?**

**Buzzcocks taping**

**Wow, how cool!**

**Yeah its alright**

I wasn't sure exactly what to write back at this point but a few minutes later he saved me from thinking about that.

**Gotta go bout to do id parade chat later?**

**Sure.**

**Alright cheers**

I didn't say good-bye, rather just laid there for a moment and responded to Bootsie's messages that had been piling up in my inbox while trying to process and accept what had just happened. Once Bootsie's messages were accounted for, I went through saving all of Noel's to my phone's memory card then got up and went about fixing myself a little bit of lunch, then had a shower afterward.

Thoughts of Noel joining me in that shower couldn't be helped and I admonished myself, just knowing that it wouldn't ever happen but smiled anyway. I wasn't his type. I considered myself lucky to even be in his phone and to have talked to him, to even think of anything more was pure and simple fantasy...

Bootsie came home that night from her day full of work with good news and she wanted to know everything that Noel and I talked about.

"Not really much, he sent a song asking if I liked it and said it's the ringtone for my texts."

Her eyes became like saucers, "How can you be calm about that?"

I blinked, "Because I'm not silly enough to think this will ever go any further than just an occasional message and chat."

She sighed. "Love, sometimes you worry me with how _little_ you fantasize..."

"I'm a writer, Boots, I fantasize all the time."

"Alright, maybe I need to rephrase that. You don't allow yourself to think you are worthy of anything."

"I thought it was called being realistic?"

She shook her head with a roll of her eyes, "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I think you should apply at my work. The little tart I thought would quit left today."

Bootsie worked as assistant manager at a little independent book store in the middle of town. She had actually just been promoted to this position over the Summer having completed all of her studies in business management that following Spring. Before then she had worked there since she was eighteen and worked up to a key holding shop keeper.

She and I had worked it to where I would have my work visa in time to be able to get some sort of job not even a week or two after I got there, so all I needed to do was apply and explain about my visa. She said her manager was a good guy and if necessary would probably let me start out a part time temp and pay under the table until my visa came in and I was 'legal.' The perks of owning your own business!

"Okay, cool!"

She handed me a couple of sheets of stapled paper, "I went ahead and brought an application home so you could go ahead and fill it out. I'll take it in tomorrow and let Marcus look over it. Hopefully you'll get an interview by tomorrow afternoon!"

I smiled and jumped up to hug her, "You have no idea how much I appreciate all of this..."

I could tell she was grinning as she hugged me back, "Aw it's alright, love. I've just always wanted a chance to hang out with you, and after all me other mates decided to move on to bigger, better things, you're really all I've had."

"Awww!" I hugged her tighter. "You know if you can leave Marcus for a little while I'm sure you and I could get into some pretty good trouble back in the States!"

She laughed, "Oh but I can't leave Marcus... what would he do without me?" she winked.

It was no secret that she had feelings for her boss who was ten years her senior, recently divorced, and unconventionally attractive to most people and she was convinced that even before the divorce, he had feelings for her as well. Becoming assistant manager gave her a little hope that perhaps they could actually become something besides great colleagues and an excellent team, but she was taking her time and letting things flow naturally.

I sat down and filled out the application in about ten minutes or so, then spent the rest of the evening watching tv with Bootsie. At one point we saw Halloween-themed commercials that prompted us to think about how we want to dress up and whether or not we want to run amuck in the streets or stay in an give candy to little kids.

"I dunno, I've always wanted to try Alice in Wonderland," I admitted.

"Aww, do it! We'll find you a costume and we'll go nutters with it!" Bootsie replied excitedly.

"What about you?"

"Errrrrmm... probably a vampire."

"But aren't you a vampire every year?"

"Yeah, well?" she laughed, "Hey, they never go out of style, right?"

"Good point. Twilight has made sure of that."

"Ugh. No. No no no."

"What, a little bit of glitter you'd be a hit!"

"Keep yer glitter, rainbow girl."

I dissolved into giggles and she couldn't help smirking a bit herself.


	4. You Disturb My Natural Emotions

I had an interview with Marcus that next afternoon which Bootsie picked me up for. He of course knew I was Bootsie's friend and I knew that was part of what ultimately got me the job (which I would start the following Monday), but I was grateful that I had a friend there to be able to help me out.

I heard from Noel on and off throughout the week, mostly in the afternoons and evenings because, like me, he hated waking up before midday with a passion. He passed a lot of my lonelier hours when I wasn't calling my family to let them know I was okay or when Bootsie was at work.

I got to know British radio and tv quiet well all within those first couple of weeks and even had my favorite programs. Naturally when Buzzcocks came on I was just a little obsessive about getting it on in time. Bootsie gave me all kinds of hell because she said I was practically drooling over Noel and even laughing at stuff that, supposedly, wasn't even that funny.

"You're SO daft for him!"

I blushed even as I said, "He's attractive, yeah..."

She laughed and threw a pillow at me, "Says the girl who gets a handful of messages at least every other day and is COMPLETELY smitten."

I promptly blew her a raspberry and continued watching.

Friday night we went back to the little club and as much as I hate to admit it, I looked for him and was a little disappointed when I didn't see him. Bootsie could tell even without me making it obvious.

"Hmm, lover boy's not here. eh? Well he's probably in Camden or somethin' goin' to a fabulous party," she began to trail her words at the end and I wonder now if she did that because she thought she might make me feel bad.

Suddenly my pocket vibrated.

**Hello**

I couldn't help but giggle and remember how he did that in person just last weekend.

"Op, is that him?"

"Yup."

"Tell him to get his arse up here and dance with you!"

I laughed as I admonished her, "Oh my god, no!" then texted him back:

**Hey there.**

**What u doin tonite**

**Im at the club with Bootsie. Going to drink and dance a bit I guess lol. You?**

**Oh brilliant wish i were too. **

**Yeah Bootsie said you were probably in Camden at a great party or something.**

**I wish. **

**? Everything ok?**

**Been fightin with gf for awhile now... not looking good**

My heart fell, one because he had a girlfriend and two because it sounded like he was really unhappy and I could identify with that unhappiness. Bootsie looked curious and I explained, getting a nod in reply.

"Yeah he's been with her a little while from what I gather. Sucks they're havin' problems... but hey this may get you in the bed - erm, door!"

My jaw went slack, "Bootsie! Poor guy's obviously very upset..."

She patted me as she sipped her beer. "Spoken like a true friend. He'd better be nice to you or I'll pound him into hamburger."

"Wow... okay."

She laughed and right around that time Frankie came over.

"Ladies! All trussed up for Punk Rock night, yeah?"

Indeed we were. Bootsie has asked Horace about the theme earlier in the day so when she got off work we took our time getting ready. I was in a black pleated skirt with black and grey striped thigh-high stockings and black boots along with a black tank with lace detailing along the decolettage and a cropped, fitted but comfy 3/4" sleeved cardigan over it. I even put in some dark red synthetic hair clip-ins in my curls and used the curling iron on them to make them blend in, all the while pulling my hair into pigtails.

Bootsie had her hair twisted into two sections sticking up in the back and wore a red and black plaid 'schoolgirl' skirt and black leggings with her combat boots and a black bustier with silver embellishments. She wore Union Jack earrings with an anarchy symbol on them and bright red lips with her black eyes to complete the look.

"Yup - I'd say you are too but that's your normal dress... fuck, who'm I tryin' kid, it's mine too," Bootsie laughed.

"Well it's our night, love! Dance with me, yeh? I'll buy ya a beer! I'll buy Chelsey one, too."

Bootsie gave him the stink eye, "That's _Kelsey_ you fuckin' twit."

"Oh, sorry!"

I laughed and waved my hand dismissively, "No big deal."

"Right, I'll go get the beer and hang about with you lot til somethin' good comes on," Frankie stated and went to go get the beers.

"He sure is crazy about you..." I shook my head as I contemplated what I would say back to Noel.

Bootsie giggled, "Yeh he is isn't he? If only I were younger he'd probably be my dream man..."

I giggled, too, then he was back with the drinks.

"So, how come you ain't with Fielding tonight?"

Bootsie slapped Frankie hard.

"What, was I not supposed to say anythin'?"

"No!"

"Shit..."

I chuckled and shrugged, "We ain't dating or anything, we just happened to meet and dance last weekend."

He scoffed, "I know what's goin' on when a bloke looks at a bird a certain way an' it was there."

My eyes widened but I shook it off, "Meh, we were just havin' a good time."

"Suit yerself, mate. Hey, c'mon sexy let's dance!" he pulled Bootsie to her feet and they went to the floor laughing at how silly they were.

I shook my head and laughed as well, then got back to Noel:

**Im sorry. Are you with her right now? I dont want to get in the way of you guys talking or something...**

**No youre alright. Whats the theme tonight?**

**Punk rock.**

**Aw shit really cool. Havin fun?**

**Watching bootsie and frankie dance.**

**You not dancin?**

I couldn't help but smirk as I replied:

**No im talking to you lol :P**

**Hmm... how about i make this easier. **

**?**

I didn't hear from him at all for a good while and figured he had just dropped out of the conversation. I rolled my eyes at his possible petulance but kept up a good front watching Frankie and Bootsie getting tipsy and silly on the floor.

Suddenly I felt a light tap on my shoulder; I looked around to see who it was and no one was there, but then I turned back and almost jumped when a guy in a red, black, and white plaid shirt open and revealing a dark blue one underneath was sitting in front of me. It wasn't until I noticed the black fedora low on his face that I calmed down.

He grinned impishly, "Didn't scare ya, did I?"

I threw a wadded up napkin at him, "A little! Geez I thought you'd just dropped out, I didn't expect your ass to come in and give me heart failure!"

He burst out laughing at me and couldn't stop for a good few minutes, wiping at his eyes near the end because his makeup had run a little.

"Oh my god, that was brilliant..." he said in an amused, high voice.

I wrinked my nose. "Glad you thought so..."

"Well well, look who showed up!" Bootsie said as she and Frankie were coming back to the table.

Noel waved, "Hello."

Bootsie made introductions between Noel and Frankie, very discreetly, and they shook hands.

"Alright, mate?"

"Alright."

"I was just gonna get the girls another beer, you want one too?" Frankie asked Noel.

"Sure, but next round's on me."

"Cheers, mate!"

Frankie took off to buy the beers and Bootsie went up with him, not-so-discreetly winking at me as she went. I shook my head, rolled my eyes, and sighed.

"She takes the piss outta you a lot, yeh?"

I nodded, "Totally."

He laid his arms out on the table and I noticed a wide dark brown leather bracelet on his wrist, then a necklace around his neck that I couldn't quite make out.

'Ever Fallen in Love' by The Buzzcocks came on and he tapped my hand, "Wanna dance?" I nodded and we got up, then he took my hand (pterydactals, anyone?) and led me to the floor. Once we found our spot we started moving with the music, then he leaned in and said, "You look cute, by the way... I kinda feel like a pedophile wantin' to stick you in me pocket and take you out later in that outfit."

I laughed, "Thanks... I think. And why do I keep having to tell you you ain't that old?"

He grinned and shrugged, "I'm gettin' old, I'm hard of hearin'!"

I thumped his arm and rolled my eyes as I laughed and made the mistake of catching his eye... Oh wow... The song suddenly got a lot deeper:

_**Ever fallen in love with someone**_

_**Ever fallen in love **_

_**In love with someone**_

_**Ever fallen in love with someone**_

_**You shouldn't have fallen in love with**_

_Wait, what? _

"What's goin' on up here?" he tapped my temple and gave me a knowing look.

I blushed, but shook my head, "Nothing, just enjoying the music... and the company."

"Oh my god you're like a straight shot of diabetes to the blood stream!"

I chuckled, "I've heard I can give ya cavities, too."

"Does that come from just bein' around ya or does that involve mouth-to-mouth contact?"

Heat rushed through me and I felt the blush creeping back up as I looked at him and saw the half smile on his face. I couldn't think of a coherent response so I just gave him a look and lifted my eyebrows then closed my eyes and kept dancing.

Afterward a slow song started playing so we went back to the table; Frankie and Bootsie sat on one side, Noel and I on the other. Noel sat on the inside facing into the booth but his back rested against my shoulder and chest comfortably and when he would address me, he would just lean back and look up at me. The pterydactals took flight again but after a couple of beers I mellowed out and just enoyed chatting with my British Bestie and my two new friends. Frankie and Noel went out to smoke a couple of times and Bootsie couldn't keep her excitement to herself, meaning I never got rid of my blush all night.

Soon another song the boys felt like dancing to came on so to the floor we went. Bootsie and Frankie weren't far from us and now and then Bootsie would grab me and we would do our own dance but then go back to our respective guys.

At one point in all of this Joan Jett's 'Crimson and Clover' started up and rather than us going back to the table, Noel's hands found my hips and his arms relaxed as he stepped closer. Quickly, I recovered from my surprise and wrapped my arms around his neck, causing him to smile. Our eyes met and I felt that heat once again, so I tried looking anywhere but at those intense, extremely blue, beautiful orbs...

He leaned his forehead on mine, practically making it impossible to look anywhere but at him. "You're not shy are ya?" he grinned.

I nodded emphatically. "Painfully."

"You do fine over text."

_That's because I'm not face to face and victim to your eyes..._

"I'm a writer so I do better with written word."

"Ahh, I see..." he nodded in a mock-knowingly way.

The music tempo changed and so did ours, though we stayed close, but when it changed to slow again, we'd moved a bit closer. Rather than his hands on my hips, his arms were around me. We were silent for a moment and his forehead leaned on mine again.

"What're you thinkin'?" he asked.

I swallowed, hard. "Nothing, really..."

"Mm," suddenly I felt his nose nudge mine, causing me to look up. For a moment we paused ever so slightly and in the darkened corner of the club, Noel Fielding's lips met mine so quickly I was thrown into a tailspin. Mine did what was natural - they touched back. It was such a tender, sweet kiss, but then it grew and panic seized my throat. I could feel the heat in places it shouldn't have been and I was so dizzy, I pulled gently away as the tempo changed again and looked up at him.

He looked puzzled, "What's wrong?"

I blinked, unsure of what to say, but settled on saying what came, "Noel, I... it's not that I didn't like it, but... you're having problems with your girlfriend and I don't want to complicate them in any way, I don't... I can't, I'm sorry." I squoze his hand, which was coming away from my hip as I pulled away, then walked away from him quickly, not looking back because I knew if I did I might not have been able to stop...

I found Bootsie at our booth and whispered that I wanted to go and she nodded and, without question, god bless her, told Frankie goodbye and walked out with me.


	5. Panda Rings and Lint Balls

My first day of work was better than I anticipated. Marcus and Bootsie were both great, patient teachers and the customers were politely curious about me and I answered some pretty basic questions and of course gave them my best customer service smile. I was in charge of the register, cleaning, and organizing the books; I also processed books that people traded in for new books, etc. It was steady for a Monday, Bootsie said, but she credited that in part to the new face.

Now and again I found myself checking my phone and for every time I had nothing new, I grew a little more sullen. Since the incident at the club Friday night I hadn't heard anything from Noel, as I probably should have expected. Little did I know how much I would miss his random messages.

Bootsie saw me checking my phone on lunch and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about him, love. If he comes around, great, but if not don't lose any sleep over it. He shouldn't have tried what he did on you and deep down he knows that."

I just nodded, then put the phone away. "I'm not worried about it..."

Boostie nodded, "Sure you're not. C'mon, let's get back to it, yeah?"

I nodded in return and got up, managing to resist checking the phone for the rest of my shift by some miracle.

Bootsie took me for a (rainy) night out to avoid a certain show that had to do with pop music and good looking men that looked like they could have spawned from Rod Stewart and ravens. We ate at one of her favorite little cafes and people-watched from a little corner table she said was the one she always got when she came in. After all that, we got in just in time to be tired and go straight to bed. Clever woman!

I really began enjoying my work as I finally picked up on the more complicated processes. I let my parents know how things were going on Wednesday and they were happy that things were going well.

My mom knew more than anyone that my last job in America was making me miserable and as hard as I worked I never seemed to climb up the ladder, nor recieve a raise of any kind. It was really becoming a struggle to pay for some things on the same pay I was getting right out high school. Even picking up full time after dropping out of college at 21 I still wasn't making much more, but I was afraid to leave the job lest I not find another one, which was quite common in my little hometown.

Thursday I had just processed an armload of books when my pocket vibrated. I didn't think anything about looking at it, figuring it might be Bootsie from the office. Thursdays were one of Marcus' days off so Bootsie was in the office going over weekly sales and updating the bookwork that he is notoriously bad for lagging behind on. So imagine my surprise when I see it's Noel.

**Hello**

Hesitating, wondering what on earth to even say, I sighed and said the only thing I could:

**Hi.**

**How are you?**

**Im okay. You?**

**Alright. What are you doin?**

It was right then I got a couple of customers, so I had to put the phone away and take care of them before I could get back to him.

**Working.**

**Oh yeah you were supposed to start that job this week! How do you like it so far?**

It made me smile a little that he remembered; I quickly attended to another customer and then began dusting as I texted him back:

**I love it. Pretty easy now that i have the hang of it. What are you up to?**

**Meeting with network about new show coming out next year**

**New show? **

**Kinda trippy cartoonish kinda thing, it's called luxury comedy**

**Wow congrats!**

**Thanks. **

Lunch was coming soon and I was back and forth between the register and trying to dust and get back to Noel. I truly felt busier in that hour than I had at work all week. The question I really wanted to ask was in the tips of my fingers but at the same time I was afraid to bring it up... but why? Was I afraid it would be good or bad? Deep down, I knew I was afraid of either one. Buzzcocks ran through my head again and I shook it off. The phone vibrated again before I had a chance to think of something to say.

**Im sorry for Friday. I wont lie i enjoyed it but im sorry i put you on the spot.**

My heart fluttered and I flushed pink. Looking at the time I was thankful lunch had finally gotten there and Bootsie was coming up to take my place. She saw the phone in my hand and gave me a quizzical look.

"Noel."

Her jaw went slack and she kept a grin back as she asked, "And how is he?"

"He's in a meeting about a tv show of his coming out next year. He's sorry for Friday."

The grin wasn't held back anymore as she nodded and took her place behind the register, "Good, I won't have to pound him into hamburger... yet."

I laughed as I headed toward the break room and found my lunch in the fridge, then sat to write him back:

**Thank you. Im sorry i ran out.**

**Dont be you really got me thinking**

**Have you guys talked?**

There was a fifteen minute period where I didn't hear anything so I assumed it had to do with the meeting and ate my lunch. I took out my little notepad that I carried with me to write down ideas for stories and managed to scribble a couple of thoughts down for a potential romance. I couldn't help but snicker as the main man kept coming to me as looking like Noel...

The phone vibrated somewhere around when I put my pen down and I jumped a bit, then looked:

**We talked all weekend. She moved out yesterday**

My heart broke for him; but on the other hand the bats that had been too terrified of the pterydactals came out and flitted through my stomach.

**Im so sorry. Are you okay?**

**:) youre a straight shot of diabetes to the bloodstream kelsey. Im alright thank you. **

**:) good. My lunch is over ive gotta get back to it. **

**Cheers love ill chat at you later**

I got back out to the register and chatted with Bootsie for a few minutes before she went back to the office. Not long after she had left, I had a customer come up to the register.

"'Ello," he said in a rather bright, chipper voice.

I smiled, "Hi, how are you?"

He seemed taken aback as his almost-cerulean blue eyes widened behind his black framed rectangular glasses. "Wow, an American is it?"

His accent was a bit different than the ones I typically heard here in London, but it was still most definitely English. I couldn't help but giggle, "Yep, it is."

He cracked a smile and a half chuckle, "Well, welcome to the other side of the pond, friend, I'm Liam," he reached a hand over his small stack of books toward me. I reached out and took it, giving a firm shake.

"Kelsey," I replied, taking in hig dark curls that hung below his ears, almost lily white skin, and the blue and purple striped scarf he wore, then began ringing up his purchases.

"So, are you a student?" he asked.

"Mmmm... not currently. Not gonna rule it out," I answered carefully. "I've pretty much just come for a change of scenery, different experiences... to meet new people."

"Wow, that's lovely. Are you renting a place or...? Sorry, I know I've gotta sound like a stalker right about now..." he shook his head and squinched his eyes a bit.

I laughed, unable to control myself, "No it's alright. I'm staying with a friend of mine from here."

"Oh, that's nice, then."

I read him his total and he got out his wallet to pay.

"Have you got many mates here yet?"

"I really only know my friend I'm living with and a couple of other people," I replied truthfully.

"Well, if you'd like, consider me a new mate, yeah? I'm in here a lot, I love this place. Marcus knows me, keeps me up on all the new stuff," he patted his bag of books I handed over.

I smiled, "That'd be great - can't have too many friends!"

"Nope - oh here, I've got a mobile, if you'd like? We could chat sometime, maybe go for tea?"

I giggled, not being able to control myself when I thought _I really don't like tea._ "Great!" I got my phone out and gave him mine, then he sent me a quick text that just said, 'Hi :)' and gave me his number in return.

"Well, Miss Kelsey, it's been lovely to meet you - see you soon, yeah?"

"Sure thing!" I smiled, returning the wave he gave me as he went out the door.

Before I knew what was going on, Bootsie was in front of me. "Bloody hell, I just saw ALL of that! I've NEVER seen Liam talk to someone that much except for Marcus! Bloke's shy as hell!"

I blinked, surprised, "Wow, he didn't seem shy to me."

She grinned, "That was just adorable... hmm, Noel may have some competition, yeah?"

I rolled my eyes, "Ohh Boots... he just wanted to be nice, offered himself as a new friend."

She rolled her eyes in return and looked at me smugly with her arms crossed, "Suure, that's all it is. Heaven forbid anyone be ATTRACTED to you, Kelsey..."

I sighed, "I'm sure it's nothing... he was kinda cute though," I smiled a little.

Bootsie laughed, making her way back to the office, "My Kelsey, the little Yank Ginger Wondergirl..."

I threw a paperwad at her, laughing as well and shaking my head. _Oh, Bootsie..._

Friday night saw us going to the little club once again to knock back a few drinks in celebration of my first week on the job.

Bootsie and I went inside arm-in-arm, only slightly wet from the rain. Bootsie wore a simple 'little black dress' that was dressed up with a studded black leather belt around her waist, two mini buns on top of each side of her head, and her black boots. I was in the same black pleated skirt I wore last time, knee-high black boots, and a blood red peasant top with a draw-string tied right smack under my cleavage. My hair was in the same kind of twisties on either side of my head like Bootsie's had been the weekend before with curly tendrils hanging to frame my face.

Frankie was already at 'our' booth, as was someone else who turned to greet us when they saw Frankie look up and grin.

"Alright, girls?"

I grinned; I was unable to stop myself from stepping into his arms when he got up and offered them. I gave him a real squeeze and he gave me one as well, then kissed my cheek.

Bootsie nodded to him, "Alright, mate?"

He nodded and smiled.

"First round's on me, next's on Fielding," Frankie said with a wink. "Congrats on the new job, mate," he added and slugged my arm lightly.

"Thanks!" I grinned.

"Too fuckin' right! We're gonna celebrate!" Bootsie threw her arm up in the air and smiled, then went with Frankie to get the first rounds of beer.

I sat beside Noel, who smiled rather sweetly at me from under his hat. I noticed he didn't wear any eyeliner that evening.

"Wow, you have eyes behind the panda rings, huh?" I joked, looking up under the brim of his hat.

He laughed, "Only 'cause I managed to get them out from under the bed."

"Hmm, that's where my brain hides, with the dustbunnies."

His eyes widened a bit, "Your brain? What's it do, crawl out your ear and run 'round at night?"

"Actually, yeah. It's a psychedellic colored lint ball with big eyes, bushy eyebrows, a nose, little hands, and little feet in sneakers. No mouth, so all he does is squeak."

He laughed a hearty laugh and wrapped an arm around my shoulders up on top of the booth seat. "You wanna help me write some material for the show?"

I couldn't help but laugh myself, "That's the only weird character I've ever come up with, I'm afraid I'd be lyin' if I said I could do it again."

Frankie and Bootsie came back to the table to find us laughing and gave us quizzical looks.

"I told him about the lint ball."

Bootsie's eyes went wide as she pulle her beer from her lips she had been sipping, "Oh no, really?"

"I told her she should come write for the show," Noel added.

Frankie looked confused, "Lint ball?"

The three of us laughed, then I explained. Poor Frankie just looked even more confused and shook his head dismissively.

For the first hour or so we just all sat catching up; I even got a congradulatory toast for getting the job. The incident from last week wasn't brought up, nor was anything else that had to do with it.

Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' started playing and we all shot up at the same time which caused us all to start laughing, then headed for the floor.

"Hey, come with me to a Halloween party Monday night at my mate's place. It's gonna be pretty huge."

I was floored, almost literally too! "Oh wow... I would, I totally would, but Bootsie and I are helping Horace out here at the club Monday night!"

This wasn't a lie, of course; Horace had just asked us that afternoon when we stopped by to check if there was a theme or not and we agreed to. He offered us free drinks and half his tips, which was fine even though we would have done it for free.

"Oh shit, sorry, I should've asked sooner I guess."

I shrugged and smiled sheepishly as the song ended and another came on. He gestured up and gave me an inquiring look. It seemed like a danceable tune, one that I wasn't familiar with though, but I nodded and we kept going.

Noel chuckled and said, "My mum's been wondering why I've been home so much lately. She's beginnin' to wonder if somethin's wrong."

I cocked my head to the side about as much as I could as I danced, looking quite confused.

"This is where my parents live. I hang out here when I'm in to see them."

I made an, 'Ohhh' face and nodded, understanding. "So this isn't a normal hangout for you?"

"Not usually, no..." We shared a smile and I cast my eyes to the floor as I felt myself flush pink.


	6. The Freaks Come Out on Halloween

Monday afternoon found us decorating the club, running to the market for Horace for bar snacks and finger foods, setting up the karaoke machine, and helping create a playlist of Halloween/spooky themed music. It was really a lot of fun, kind of like planning for a party. When we were all finished, we freshened up in Horace's private staff bathroom and donned our costumes.

Bootsie dressed as a punk rock vampire; bright red converse shoes, her schoolgirl skirt, a black wife beater tank top, a cropped black cape, a 'vial of blood' around her neck on a chain, her hair in pigtails, dark eye makeup, blood red lips, and fangs.

I ended up going with a slightly gothic Alice in Wonderland; typical blue dress and apron, but with black and white striped thigh-high socks and black flat Mary Janes to accentuate. A black bow headband graced my head and I wore dark eye makeup, red lips, and a black star on my cheekbone painted by Bootsie. She finished it off with a large, fake 'sapphire' heart surrounded by 'diamonds' on a black ribbon at my throat.

By 5 people began rolling in and Bootsie and I stood back and admired our handiwork. We coud tell Horace and the rest of the staff were grateful for our help, as it made their night run a little bit smoother. Frankie was one of the first to show up; all he wore was a Guy Fawkes mask with his regular attire.

"Nice setup ya got here. Fielding comin' or what?" he asked, propping up against the bar next to us.

"No he's going to a party at a friend's place. He asked me to go but I didn't wanna run out on Bootsie and Horace."

"Aww, ain't you just a sweet lit'le piece of work," he oozed sarcasm as he patted me on the head and smirked. Frankie proved to be a sarcastic, cutting individual at times, but Bootsie encouraged me to ignore those moments because she was convinced he'd been raised in a barn or at the very least locked in the basement most of his childhood and never aquired tact.

Just then Bootsie's attention was diverted from Frankie and I and a rather dreamy look crept into her eye. I followed her stare and found Marcus, looking dashing with his wild, loose red-brown curls, white button up shirt and black slacks. On half of his face, he wore a Phantom of the Opera mask.

"Wow..." she breathed and smiled all at once, going to meet him.

"Oh great, Prince Charmin's here..." Frankie sighed, bowing his head. "There goes my girl."

I clucked my tongue and shrugged, "Sorry, Frankie. I think she invited just about everyone she saw that she knows from the bookstore."

He took a swig of his beer and shrugged in return, "Bah, it's Halloween, I'll find some tart to spend some time with I suppose." He clapped my shoulder and walked off, "Cheers, Kels."

"See ya..." Personally, even though he was a bit annoying sometimes, I wasn't exactly looking forward to the idea of hanging out with just Bootsie and Marcus, either. Not that Marcus wasn't a nice guy, but it was just so AWKWARD feeling like a third wheel...

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder; I turned and found near-cerulean eyes staring back at me... but without their normal glasses, and looking quite like the tenth Doctor from Doctor Who. Wow. Liam rocked it, I had to admit, even with his hair slightly combed back against his head except for bits that stuck out on top much like The Doctor.

"Hello, Kelsey!" he shouted over the din of the club.

"Liam, hi!" I was a bit surprised to see him, no doubt.

"Bootsie said there was a Halloween bash here tonight and invited me! I couldn't pass it up, I've been wantin' to dress up as The Doctor for awhile!"

I laughed, _Oh Bootsie... _"So no party plans for you tonight?"

"I'm not much of a party fella, I'm afraid. But I thought this sounded like fun, and I kinda hoped I might see you here," he replied, tugging proudly at either side of the front of his dress jacket.

"Well, great! Have a seat, I'll get you a drink," I smiled. He smiled in return and sat beside me.

"Why thank you! Nice costume, by the way!"

I looked down at myself and then back up at him with a smile, "Thanks!" Horace came up and I asked for a beer for Liam; smiling, Horace obliged and sat one in front of him.

"Cheers, mate," he saluted Horace with the beer and placed it to his lips.

We were silent a moment, then Bootsie and Marcus came up. "Alright, Liam?"

"Hey Bootsie, Marcus!"

"C'mon, a booth's just opened up," Bootsie grabbed my hand and pulled me. I shrugged as I looked at Liam and grabbed his elbow.

"Better come on, then," I said with a laugh. He grabbed his beer and followed.

Bootsie and Marcus almost seemed shy around each other in this setting; I suppose without work providing them with a 'safe' environment they felt a bit out of their element. Not that Liam and I started out talking like old friends right away either, but eventually we all warmed up enough to get some good conversation going (Marcus inadvertently started this by commenting on Liam's Doctor Who getup).

"So, do you have a Sonic Screwdriver, too?" I asked with a smile as I placed my beer to my lips.

Liam looked rather proud of himself as he replied, "Well I think that's hardly appropriate this early in our friendship to ask."

Bootsie had to turn as she spat her beer and laughed heartily, Marcus looking surprised as he joined in. I covered my mouth and laughed as well; that was pretty damn good for someone who Bootsie said was shy!

That pretty much broke the ice and we all relaxed a lot more (or was that the beers?), talking and laughing quite freely, especially when he pulled the Sonic Screwdriver and handed it to me, saying as he did, "I don't let many people touch it, so consider yourself pretty special!"

Bootsie suggested a dance later on when Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' came on and Marcus looked a little uncomfortable. She begged and gave him puppy eyes as she tugged his hand. He conceded, "But I'll just let you know I'm a _shit_ dancer."

"Who CARES, I'm not that good either, I just move with it!" she gave a final tug and he followed her with a patient smile to the floor.

I looked over at Liam and shrugged, clapping my hands together, "What do you say we join them?"

Liam thought only a moment before replying, "Why not?"

I got up and let him out, then we walked to the floor as well, finding a spot not too far from Bootsie and Marcus. I didn't know the whole dance but I danced the bits I knew and made the rest up as I went. Liam was a bit stiff and awkward, but he was doing a lot better than poor Marcus, who looked genuinely uncomfortable and shyly intrigued when Bootsie began doing 'sexy' moves. I grabbed Liam's hands in a move of spontanaeity and kind of cha-cha'd with him during the chorus line, which he did quite well I thought. He even gracefully spun me around then brought me back and continued cha-chaing.

"Wow, you're pretty good!"

"Thanks - I've never done this before!"

My jaw went slack, "Okay, I'm even more impressed now, you catch on quick!"

He just beamed with pride as we kept on going. We all danced for a couple more songs before we went for another round of beers and headed back to the booth for a rest. Marcus went kind of quiet but smiled after a little bit and looked at Bootsie with a certain gaze... then they were both making goo-goo eyes. It was then I noticed Bootsie's arm resting against his, _She must be holding his hand under the table - how cute!_

Some people were on the other side of the club doing the karaoke, I saw, while everyone else was either dancing or standing against the walls talking and having a drink. It looked like things were going really good.

'Late Night Double Feature Picture Show' started playing and I felt a tap on my hand; I looked up and Liam said, "May I have this dance?"

I nodded and replied with a smile, "Sure!" Finding our place on the floor, I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, his went around my waist, and we moved to the music as we smiled shyly at each other. I remember we talked about Doctor Who as well as The Rocky Horror Picture Show while dancing, but while that was happening something else was going on on the other side of the club that I didn't know about til a day later.

Marcus had gone to the bathroom when Bootsie's eyes happened to catch movement out of their corner; through the door wandered a guy dressed as Paul Stanley from KISS. When he saw her and waved, it was then she recognized him as Noel! Her jaw went slack as she waved back but she quickly recovered when he sat down.

"Alright, Bootsie?"

"Alright, Noel."

"Where's our favorite hippie girl?"

"Oh, um, well she's out there dancing with a friend of ours."

"Really?" she said something in him changed a little as he asked that simple one-worded question. Apparently his eyes found us and his mouth went into a line; his eyes were sharp but soft all at once. "She looks good..."

Bootsie was rather proud in that moment, since she had helped me with the costume, "She does, doesn't she?"

He nodded, continuing to watch us with an expression Bootsie couldn't quite read. Marcus came back then and looked a little surprised at the new addition to the table.

"Ohh, Marcus, this is a mate of Kelsey's and mine... Noel Fielding," she introduced discreetly as possible.

Noel stood and held out his hand to Marcus, "Alright?"

Marcus looked surprised and shook his hand, "As in The Mighty Boosh, stand-up comedian Noel Fielding?"

Noel chuckled and almost looked shy, "Yeh."

"Nice to meet you," he replied, then the two sat down in their original spots.

"So how's your friend's party?" Bootsie asked him.

"Eh, it's alright. Just wanted t' come and see how things were here," Noel replied with a noncommital shrug as his eyes were between her and Marcus, and Liam and I dancing.

They all got quiet and Bootsie said she swore she felt a certain tension in the air.

I laughed at something Liam had said and replied to it, "Well the tenth Doctor is actually my favorite."

"Really? Not actually surprsing, he seems to be almost everyone's. But why is he _yours?_"

As I was explaining in as much detail as I could while we moved with the music as to why David Tennant's interpretation of The Doctor was my favorite, Noel kept an almost solid eye on us while having a conversation with Bootsie and Marcus, according to Bootsie later on.

We came back to the table as 'Werewolves of London' started playing and right away I recognized Noel as a member of KISS.

"Hi!" I exclaimed, skipping over and hugging his neck.

Liam brought up the rear as Noel wrapped an arm around my waist, "Alright, Kelsey? Or should I say lit'le gothic Alice?"

I giggled then saw Liam out of the corner of my eye and I turned to him, "Ohh, Liam, this is one of the first friends besides Bootsie that I made here, Noel," I said simply, unsure of introducing him as Noel Fielding at this point. "Noel, this is Liam, a new friend - he's a regular patron at the bookshop."

"Alright, mate?" Noel stood and put out his hand, slightly stepping between me and Liam.

Liam nodded and held out his hand to shake as well, "Alright."

I let Liam have the chair on the further side and I took the one closest to the edge of the table and looked up at Noel, "Grab a chair, join us!"

Noel nodded and went in search of one. I felt Bootsie's converse'd toe touch my leg and I looked at her and found her with wide eyes and a rather smug smirk. I rolled my eyes and shook my head good-naturely as he came back with a chair and sat down.

"I thought you had a party?" I asked as Bootsie and Marcus went to get drinks.

"Eh, I'm kind of everywhere tonight," Noel replied simply.

"Ah," I nodded, feeling slightly awkward. Little did I know that Liam and Noel felt the same.

Marcus and Bootsie came back a few minutes later, passing out beers to everyone. "Let's go see what's happening at karaoke!" Bootsie suggested, which I was thankful for. We all got up and headed that way, finding a couple of guys finishing up a rather drunken rendition of 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love.'

"Wow, they're well destroyin' that one," Noel muttered in my ear, causing me to giggle.

The song ended and the makeshift stage stayed vacant for a few moments; next thing I knew Bootsie was grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the stage. If I had claws they would've been exaggeratingly digging into the floor and not leting go.

"No no nononono, no way!" I squeaked in panic.

"Come ON - I'll do lead but I don't wanna do it alone!" Bootsie begged, fueled with confidence due to the alcohol in her system and a want to impress Marcus, no doubt.

I sighed, relieved that she didn't want to do a lead duet, "Alright."

She chose 'I Love Rock n Roll' by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and encouraged me to do the clapping when I wasn't singing in the chorus. _Oh why not, I only see a few of these people every weekend here, and even fewer of them at the book store... yay. _So at Bootsie's insistance I clapped above my head along with the song and found myself bopping in time while doing it.

Marcus' head bobbed in time with the music as he watched Bootsie with rapt interest. I think the alcohol had pretty well made her silly and so she dropped to her hands and knees and crawled over to Marcus, serenading him. The alcohol must have affected him, too, that was the most relaxed I had seen him all night - he was really enjoying it! Noel and Liam, while reserved, bobbed along with the music and any time my eyes met theirs I either got a smile or a wink.

I was relieved when the song was over and got off stage rather quickly. Meanwhile Bootsie climbed off right into Marcus' waiting arms; uninhibited, they made a cute little couple, I thought. Now if only they'd just get this loose WITHOUT alcohol! I made my way to Noel and Liam and sighed, shaking my head good naturedly as we walked back toward our original table.

By this time Marcus and Bootsie were off dancing most of the night, so I hung out with Noel and Liam. I noticed now and then that Noel had an odd look, almost like a mask, when Liam was speaking to me. Alternatively, Liam seemed to be a bit preoccupied when Noel was speaking to me. Despite these oddities they were at least cordial and polite directly to each other.

Bootsie came back wrapped up in Marcus and slightly giggly around an hour later, "We'd better get home, Kels, we've got work in the mornin.'"

I looked at the clock and shot up, "Oh shit, yes we do!"

Liam looked concerned, "Are any of you alright to drive?"

Marcus nodded, "I haven't had a drink for a couple of hours, I think I'm alright. I can take the girls home in their car and walk back and get mine, they don't live far."

Liam, seeming slightly disappointed, nodded. "Good, good. Well, I think I'll be off meself. Got work in the mornin' as well. It's been great fun though." He turned to me and smiled, "Kelsey, you've been a lovely dance partner and it's been great getting to know you a little better." He capped that off with leaning in for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Over his shoulder and out of the corner of my eye Noel's face hardened.

Liam then turned to him and gave a small wave, "Nice to meet you, mate."

Noel's face loosened a fraction as he produced a tight-lipped smile and a nod, "Cheers."

Bootsie and Marcus made their way towards the car and Noel and I trailed behind a little bit.

"D'you really wanna ride back with the love birds or would you rather give it a tick? My driver can give ya a ride back if you like," he offered in a low voice. I almost slapped myself in the forehead, _Jesus if there were ever a night for these two to finally consumate their feelings it WOULD be tonight..._

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," I replied, then went out to let Bootsie know privately

"Oh, well okay if you want..." Bootsie replied quietly, but then gave me a wink and a goofy-ass grin. I shook my head and walked back inside where Noel was standing.

'Sympathy for The Devil' began to play and he looked down at me playfully, "You know I haven't had a dance with you all night?" he held out his hand. I giggled and handed him mine daintily, then he led me to the floor and we started to move to the music.

"I love this one," he grinned.

"Me, too - thought it was pretty appropriate considering."

"You and Bootsie put together a good playlist, I think - well, what I've heard of it anyway."

"Thanks," I smiled shyly.

We danced the rest of the song pretty well in silence, then made our way slowly toward the door. He offered me his arm and I linked mine with his.

"So who was that guy, anyway, that Liam?" he asked.

I laughed, "He's just what I said earlier, I met him working at the book store. I meet a lot of people working at the book store."

He stopped when we reached a pretty basic black car. He opened the passenger's side back door and shut it behind me before getting in on his side.

"Alright just tell Raymond where you live," he said as his driver started the car, then shifted into gear and backed up, shifted into gear again, then drove toward the main highway as I gave him basic directions of where to turn, etc.

Within eight minutes we were there and we both realized that we hadn't seen Marcus going on his way back at all.

"Oh shit, and that's a studio apartment..." I muttered, clapping my hand over my face and laughing, causing him to laugh too.

"Oh no!"

"Oh well... I can wait a few minutes before I go up or something," I said, about to get out of the car before he touched my arm.

"You can stay with me and wait, you know, I haven't got anywhere I need to be." Noel pulled the window between his and the driver's compartment shut.

I swallowed hard and nodded, "Okay..."

We sat in absolute silence for a moment as Raymond idled the car just enough for us to keep heat going.

"I'm glad you got to make it out tonight," I said softly.

He just smiled teasingly, "Even though you and your boyfriend were pretty cozy there on the floor?"

"He's not my boyfriend, I don't _have_ a boyfriend," I laughed, slamming my head back onto the headrest and looking heavenward.

"Hmmm..." was all I heard. I looked over at him and he was sitting sideways in his seat, his head cocked to the side watching me. Suddenly he shifted and leaned toward me, closing his eyes and before I could properly prepare his lips were upon mine, gently beginning to caress them. I leaned into the kiss, my heart threatening to pound into my chest and the pterydactals in my stomach multiplying.

He pulled back for only a moment and searched my eyes with his own. I looked up at him through my lashes and leaned toward him once more and that was all it took for the intensity of the kiss to grow; he pulled me to him and held me there as my arms went around him.

After a moment we pulled back; I was in a sort-of shock over this really happening. He chuckled a bit as he wiped at my cheeks with his thumb, "I got some makeup on you, sorry."

I giggled, "Now normally that's supposed to be the other way around."

He rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Come here, you..." he took hold of me around the waist and practically drug me onto his lap as his lips crushed mine, pulling and massaging them simultaneously. I adjusted to where my thighs were on either side of him and I was just barely straddling his own thighs. The soft beats from whatever music was playing on low volume added to the atmosphere, deep and charged with white hot energy.

His hands splayed out on my back and pulled me close to him while my arms wrapped around his neck and head, my hands playing with his luxurious hair. I could feel him, hard and rubbing against the inside of my thigh and I felt my own heat pulse in response.

Suddenly he pulled back and looked up at me, "Babe, I can't do this here, not in the middle of a parking lot in front of your flat in the back of the car... We could go to a hotel, it'd be great."

This brought me back to reality and I sighed and leaned back a little. "I've got work in the morning, and I know I'm gonna have a hard enough time waking up, just imagine if..." Oh god, the images of what could have been were so tempting, I almost swallowed my resolve and let go, but I held firm and shook my head. I used this opportunity to look deep into those beautiful eyes and run my fingers through his hair. "I know it seems like I keep running away, and it's not that I want to..."

He placed a finger to my lips and kissed me softly, pulling back slowly and fluttering his eyes open. "I'll walk you up."

I nodded, climbing off of his lap, smoothing myself and getting out of the car, him with his fingers at the small of my back as I led the way upstairs. When we got to the door I opened it a crack and leaned in. It was dark and I couldn't hear any noises but soft breathing and snores; I cracked a smile and motioned for him to follow.

"I think they're asleep," I whispered as the door shut behind him. Luckily her bed was sectioned off by a screen.

He smiled and pulled me close, then chuckled and wiped at me cheeks once more. "I'm sorry I've rubbed off all over you..."

I giggled. "If only."

He snorted and leaned into my ear, "Cheeky... one of these days we'll make that happen, baby. See how cheeky you are then."

I quivered once more and swallowed hard, but smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Noel. Safe travels and sleep well."

He chuckled. "Straight shot of diabetes, baby..." he kissed my cheek sweetly in return. "See you later, Kelsey." He pulled away slowly and I opened the door for him as he walked out; I watched him go until he was down the stairs and I couldn't see him anymore, then closed the door slowly, locked it, and leaned against the jamb, unable to believe what had just happened.

After a moment I made my way to the bathroom, changed into my pajamas, pulled my hair into a clip and looked into the mirror as I prepared to wash my face. A little bit of Noel's facepaint was still on my cheek and I lovingly stroked it with a soft smile before wetting my face and washing it.


	7. Remember, Remember

November started with a bang; that morning after the Halloween party at the club when Bootsie and Marcus woke up together, it was slightly awkward. The way they saw it, things happened faster than either of them were planning on. Meanwhile, I was somewhere in the background watching them try not to step over any invisible lines all the while with those sparkles in their eyes, shaking my head and thinking it was about damn time! But eventually they did find happy median and had a 'proper' date that Friday night. I spent that night catching up with my parents, as well as getting text here and there from Noel who was at a friend's birthday party on the other side of London.

I didn't really talk much about Noel to my family other than being ambiguous about some friends I was making; I told them about the Halloween party at the club and they seemed a bit weirded out that I was hanging out in a club so much. This being typical behavior I just rolled my eyes, bit my tongue, and moved on to other subjects.

Bootsie came home later on with a content smile on her face. I breathed an audible sigh of relief as I asked, "So it went well, I take it?"

She nodded, practically melting against the door as she locked it behind her.

I shook my head good-naturedly and continued watching tv in the fold-out-couch-bed and allowed her to unwind a little before we had any serious conversations. She slipped out of her black heels and slinked out of her little black dress as she headed back to her screened-off room to change into something more comfortable, then came back out to join me before she went to sleep.

"Now, am I gonna have to come into work tomorrow to make sure inventory gets done?" I asked her playfully. She shoved me and I fell over laughing.

"We'll manage," she replied, a glimmer in her eye even as she spoke the words. "What you planning to do with your Saturday? I know you were all by yourself tonight... weren't you?" she squinted her eyes.

Laughing, I replied, "Yes, Noel didn't come over. I talked to the parents and texted him a little."

"I think this is the first Friday since you got here that you guys ain't seen each other. Gotta feel a little weird, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"Aww," she pulled me into a one-armed hug and kissed my cheek. "Poor lovey. Well, I'm off to bed. Enjoy your day off, I'll see you around half three tomorrow."

"Love ya Boots, night."

Thankfully the next Friday was a bit more 'normal.' Bootsie and I went to the club and found Frankie sitting at the bar, looking rather sullen and drinking a beer alone. Bootsie looked at me and placed a finger on her lips then exaggeratedly tiptoed up behind Frankie and covered his eyes, whispering in his ear, "Guess who?"

I saw him grin as he turned around, but it wasn't his normal Frankie grin; it didn't meet his eyes.

"Hello, love. So, you and Prince Charmin', eh?"

Bootsie's eyes met the floor and she nodded with a shy smile, "Yup."

There was a moment's pause between them, and finally he patted her shoulder, "Congratulations, Boots, I'm happy for ya."

That gesture seemed to mean the world to Bootsie as she smiled and they hugged sideways. I breathed a small sigh of relief and smiled as well. "First round's on me," I said quietly, leaving them be for a moment and heading up to the bar to get our drinks. Sudden arms around me from behind surprised me, but the familiar smell of a certain cologne made me smile.

"Hello, stranger," I turned my head slightly around and purred.

"Hi," I felt more than heard Noel's whisper in my ear. I absolutely shivered from head to toe.

He let me go enough to where I could turn and look up at him. "I just got drinks, want me to get yours?"

He shook his head, "I'll get mine, right behind ya."

I nodded and walked back to Bootsie and Frankie, handing them both their drinks.

"Cheers, mate. Fielding just came in," Frankie nodded toward the bar as he took a swig of his beer.

I nodded, sipping my own, "I know, we met up there." Noel came and greeted everyone as he sat down, then I thought of the perfect ice breaker. "You'll never guess who is supposed to be on Buzzcocks this week," I grinned like the cheshire cat as I nudged Noel. Bootsie and Frankie looked between us with interest.

Noel grinned too, pretty happy and still on his high as he spoke in that soft way of his, "Alice Cooper."

Bootsie's jaw went slack and Frankie nodded appreciatively, "Bloody sweet, mate!"

Noel talked about some of the funny stuff that happened, and things that wouldn't make it onto the final cut for the show. Alice was one of Noel's faves and I loved how animated he got when he talked about him; it was like meeting a hero for him. Things were feeling a bit more normal by this point so when some good, danceable music came on, Frankie and Bootsie went to dance. It was then that Noel turned to me.

"Let's do somethin' tomorrow. You are off tomorrow, right?"

I was a bit shocked, and it must have showed as I nodded.

He smiled, giving me a look as he did so, "I know, I know," he sighed, "my schedule's been bloody horrible lately. But I do think it's time we had a proper date."

My heart thudded hard and fast and I feared it would burst out of my chest. The whole time I could only sit and smile like an idiot.

He propped his head on his hand and looked at me, "How much have you actually seen 'round here?"

I told him of the tours I did on my first fully functional weekend here and some of the stuff Bootsie and I had gone off and done the day after... well, the day after the ball started rolling.

He nodded and smirked a little. "Dress warm; I think we can find a few things to do."

I snorted and shook my head, "I don't see how you all cope with all this rain. I LOVE my sunshine..."

"Now you see why we're such miserable bastards," Noel muttered in one of his funny voices, causing me to giggle, then he patted my head, "Not to worry love, the sun _will_ shine again... just not until the summer."

I pouted and stuck my tongue out at him, making him chuckle and wag a playfully scolding finger at me.

"Better either make use of it or stick it back in, otherwise I'll get an angry, sexually frustrated tapir and lock you in the loo with him."

My jaw dropped but I couldn't help laughing at the ridiculous picture. That eventually subsided though; I had a date with Noel Fielding... Sexy, attractive, silly, endearing, adorable, complex, yet simple Noel Fielding - a man, above anything else his impressive resume might have said. Any time that thought tried to sink in, the bats in my stomach multiplied and insisted on not using their sonar to figure out where the hell they were going.

The next night I paced as I waited. I wore a thin emerald green sweater with a v-neck, leggings under my flared jeans, and my black boots. I wore my hair down and I carried my fitted, insulated black coat with a zipper beneath the buttons and a faux-fur lined hood.

"Christ love, will you sit or something? You're makin' me nervous!" Bootsie chastsised as she watched.

"I don't think my mild adult ADHD will let me do that," I replied flatly.

Bootsie just audibly sighed and shook her head, then went back to playing games on her cell phone. I tried to keep my pacing to a minimum, or rather stuck to doing it in the kitchenette so she couldn't see me. My pocket vibrated and I almost dropped the phone when I saw it was a phone call from Noel. My mind hadn't quite wrapped around this yet - the possibility of phone calls. Kind of stupid considering we'd already made out in the back of his driver's car...

"Hello?"

"Hey Kels, I'm sorry I'm gonna be a little late. I had to make a stop along the way and ran into a couple of fans," he finished shyly.

"That's okay, no problem!"

"Okay, I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Yep, you'll see me soon," I almost squeaked.

"Cheers, love."

We hung up and right about then there was a knock and Bootsie shot up to answer. Marcus was standing there, smiling at Bootsie, then looked past her and smiled and nodded to me, "Alright, Kelsey?"

I smiled and waved, "Hi, Marcus. Have her home by midnight or else the car will turn into a pumpkin."

He snorted and Bootsie giggled, looking back at me, "You've got Cinderella a bit confused, love, _her_ car turned into a pumpkin."

I laughed, "The fact that you argued that it was her _car_ shows _you've_ got it a bit confused, too."

This gave everyone a laugh and with that, they bade me goodnight, Bootsie leaving me with these parting words, "Wish I could be here to give your tosser a warnin'... Aw hell, tell him I said he'd better be good to ya or I'll give him a kick in the head, right?"

I chuckled, "Sure."

It was about fifteen minutes after they left that I got my knock on the door. Noel stood there, no hat to obscure his face - a first besides Halloween, but that didn't count consindering he was in KISS garb. His hair touched his shoulders and he wore an outfit that looked like it had been plucked from 1960's Mick Jagger's closet; a thigh-length fawn colored coat, and under that a deep hunter green shirt that ruffled at the buttons and a pair of pants in pinstriped navy blue and the same kind of green as the shirt and black cuban heeled boots. My jaw unhinged a bit, my eyes wide as dinner plates. My breath was taken... god he was gorgeous.

"For you," he pulled his arm from behind his back and handed me a rose that was rainbow colored, to be perfectly exact. "It's a Rainbow Rose. Told ya I had to make a stop," he grinned.

I swooned as I took it and gestured him inside. "It's beautiful... thank you!" I marveled it lovingly and smelled it; so sweet! "Let me put it in water," I rustled around the kitchenette trying to find something similar to a vase. The closest thing I could find was a tall, clunky glass that I filled with water and put the rose in, then placed it on the table by my 'bed.'

He smiled as he chuckled, his eyes sparkling from beneath his thick fringe, which had scattered all over his forehead. "You ready?"

I nodded, picking up my coat, camera (which I slipped into my coat pocket), and keys as we walked out the door then locked it behind us. I shivered a little, but it wasn't too cold out yet. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, turning what little we could see of the sky to shades of orange and pink. We walked down, got into the car and Raymond drove off; all was quiet except for the radio on low volume; this was the first time we were actually going out and spending a significant amount of time together, and I think it was then that it hit us and we became shy.

Right as we were getting on the A202, the lights alongside the motorway playing upon the windows, he glanced at me and said, "I think you're gonna like where we're goin' first."

"Oh? Any chance at a hint, a clue?" I asked.

He smirked, "Well, do you remember telling me you love Asian food?"

"Oooh, god that sounds good..." I rolled my head back and to the side to face him, grinning.

He nodded, smirking with an arrogant sense of smug male satisfaction, "Yeah, I'm bloody good, I am."

Raymond paid the toll from the money Noel handed him through the window and I just looked around until we arrived. He got us a table by the window with an amazing view of the river, the now-lit Tower Bridge and the ever-darkening deep orange, dusty pink, and bruised cloud sky, reflecting and sparkly on the River Thames. It was truly beautiful and magical, combined with the giddy feeling in my heart and stomach for the evening ahead; I pulled out my camera and snapped a picture of the view, then tucked it back into my coat pocket.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I nodded, "It's amazing."

He grinned, fluffing his hair and casting his eyes downward almost shyly.

That made me giggle as we looked over our menus and made our final decisions. I decided on trying out the bar. Noel insisted I try one of the wine; sometime in talking about the wine, I learned he had a liver disorder which limited his drinking to very minimal, otherwise he would go jaundiced. This explained why much of the time at the club he would stop drinking long before the rest of us. I chose a glass of Merlot along with my ice water, then he insisted on teasing me for not ever having tried Merlot before then. I swallowed my sip and retorted, "Well excuse me for being poor and enjoying my sodas! I don't even drink tea at home, and I'm from the south, the dang sweet tea capital!"

He only stopped laughing for a moment to tell me, "You are absolutely adorable when you rant... it brings out your accent."

I smiled blushingly, then squinted my eyes and pointed a scolding finger at him, "Don't think you can get out of this by trying to flatter me!"

It was a lovely meal, and amazingly enough our table selection kept us from running into any fans. The lights on the bridge lit up and by the time we walked out of the restaurant, it was nightfall and chillier than it had been before. We took another short drive north and past yet another toll booth, then came into Central London. It was right around this time that Noel turned to me and asked, "How would you like to see London at night?"

"Oooh, that sounds nice!" I replied sincerely.

We parked not very far from the beautifully lit London Eye, then he came over to my side and opened my door, offering a hand to help me out. I noticed the walkway toward the Eye was lined with trees on either side that each twinkled with what looked like blue Christmas lights.

"Oh wow, that's beautiful," I murmured, pulling out my camera once more to take a picture of the pathway and the wheel beyond it. I snapped a couple to be sure I got at least one clear one, then tucked the camera in my pocket once again.

Noel smiled, "C'mon, let's take you on up," he murmured as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Mine automatically snaked around his waist and the pterydactals began a flying rampage in my stomach again.

He asked me to stay behind a moment while he approached the counter. I could see him talking with the man behind the counter, then the man left a moment. Another man came back with him and I saw him shake hands with Noel as they exchanged words. The man looked at me briefly, then he and Noel exchanged more words, shook hands again, and Noel handed the other man a card, which I presumed to be a debit or credit card. The man swiped it and then returned it to Noel, handing him a couple of pieces of paper. He then turned and came back to me and took my hand, lacing his fingers with mine as he led me along.

"I've got us a capsule all to ourselves," he whispered in my ear.

I don't know if it was what he said or how he said it, but my whole left side tingled for a bit after that. My mouth dropped slightly open, "How did you manage that?"

He just shrugged and gave me a very Cheshire Cat grin. Of course, he Noel Fucking Fielding, how can he _not _get his way?

Another man led us onto our capsule and shut us inside; to my amazement we didn't even have a _guide_ in there with us! I shook my head. _Wow, the perks of being famous..._

He sat on the wooden bench in the center and patted the seat next to him, "We'll probably start here in a minute. I know you've been on the eye before but I thought you'd like it at night, too."

I sat beside him, replying, "Oh, I love the lights at night - they're even prettier in person. I looked at pictures for MONTHS while planning to come here."

"So things were bad back home, then?"

"Not _bad, _just monotinous and kind of annoying at times... I was in a rut and needed to get out and do something different. I suppose I could have went to California or something, but I don't have anyone I really know there. Meanwhile, here Bootsie is telling me I should come over here, and she's been one of my best online friends for _years..._ I had enough money saved to make the trip, you know, why not?"

Noel nodded. "How did you and Bootsie meet, anyway?"

I blushed and giggled, bowing my head and then looking back up at him, "You're gonna laugh at me, but we met through Doctor Who fanfiction..."

"Fanfiction?" Noel grinned incredulously.

I nodded. "Fanfiction."

"So that's what you write, then?"

"Well of course I've written a few _original_ pieces too, and some poetry... but yeah, fanfiction has been my primary writing for a long time."

"All Doctor Who?"

"No, I've had a wide variety of topics," I replied, figuratively squirming a little.

"Like what?" he was teasing by now, and I could tell by the way he smirked when he saw me blushing and becoming flustered.

The ride saved me as the wheel began slowly turning and our capsule started to rise from below. I stood and walked up to the front and looked upon my climbing bird's eye view of London. It was now well past dark and all the lights on the various buildings and landmarks were on, and those close to the river shone down on it, making it sparkle and glow.

"Wow..." I just watched for a moment before turning to the other side to look as we descended.

"D'you like it?" asked Noel as he came up behind me, hands in his pockets and smiling that damned infectious smile.

"I thought it was something in the daytime, damn, it's absoultely beautiful at night," I murmured in reply.

It was in that moment that he wrapped his arms around me from behind (and even though I'd lost a lot of weight it _still_ surprised me when his arms wrapped all the way around me with no issues) and I turned my head around to face him that our eyes met, then not much later, our lips. I shifted and turned my whole body toward him, his arms moving with me and readjusting and we joined lips once more, gently at first, but building slowly and passionately as we continued on.

After a few minutes of this, we parted and Noel chuckled, a bit out of breath, "Might wanna let you take some pictures before the ride's over, yeah?"

"Right," I replied in a breathy whisper, backing away slowly and taking out my camera. I got pictures from every angle imaginable in that capsule that evening, all the while trying to control my shaking hands and thudding heart.

We got off of the ride and walked slowly, hand in hand, back to the walkway. Noel stopped me midway and asked, "Hey, did you want your picture in front of the wheel here?"

We were right in the middle of the blue Christmas-lit trees; it was a gorgeous opportunity.

"Sure," I replied as I turned on the camera and set it up for him, then showed him the button to push and went to get in place.

"Can you move a little more left? I wanna get you centered," Noel gestured with his hand.

_Must be the artist in him_.

I moved until he nodded, "Perfect! Alright, say Babybels!"

This cracked me up and Noel snapped the photo, with flash, grinning cheekily. "That was cute! Really natural."

"Okay, can we get one where I'm not squinting and without my mouth wide open?"

"Alright, alright," he composed himself after a small laughing fit, "Ready? Aaaaand, smile!"

I did, and once the picture was taken I walked over to see how it turned out. He showed me both and I almost died at the one where he said 'Babybels.' It was very natural, I had to agree, but I was glad he had taken the other one.

"Thanks, I'll have to send this one to my parents," I said sincerely, grinning from ear to ear.

Suddenly he walked behind me, pulled me to him, and handed me the camera, "Here, get one of both of us, send it to your parents and tell 'em I'm your vampire boyfriend."

My head fell back onto his collar bone as I cackled with laughter, "Oh my god, just what they need to hear."

"Oi, you're 24, you can date a vampire if you want to!"

"Oh that's not it, they're just going to make a judgement call with me being 'in a relationship' so soon."

He nodded understandingly and rolled his eyes a little. "How long have you been divorced?"

"Almost a year."

"I still can't believe that you're only 24 and have been married and divorced already."

"Tell me about it..."

All got quiet for a moment and he gave me a squeeze, "Go on, then... Gotta make it quick, I don't always show up on film."

I giggled. "Well lucky for me then, my camera's digital!"

"Fuck."

I couldn't help but laugh, but then composed myself enough to take the picture. When I looked to see how it had turned out, I had me smiling like an idiot and Noel's tongue almost in my ear and almost died laughing.

"Don't vampires go for the neck?"

"Aw shit, I didn't even think about that!"

I situated once more and snapped another pic. This one turned out nice; his face was snuggled as close to mine as it could be considering he was standing behind me and his smile... damn. He looked happy to be with me - and I him.

"I like it," I heard him say softly next to my ear, then turned toward him.

"Me, too." As he took my hand once again, I shut off the camera and we went to walk along the Thames.

For a moment we walked in silence, but then he asked me the best question anyone could ever honestly be asked:

"So what all kinds of music do you like?"

This led to a big discussion about both of our favorite bands, favorite songs, and some of the stuff we didn't like. I think he understood me a little better when I said that my first and one of my favorite bands was The Monkees, followed closely by The Beatles. We liked a lot of the same bands, but I think he almost had heart failure when I said that I liked a couple of Coldplay's songs. I chided him, "Hey, at least I'm not lying and saying I hate Coldplay just because you do. That's stupid. Like what you wanna like and don't worry about other people."

"I agree but... does it _have_ to be Coldplay, love?"

I nodded, "'Fraid so. But I won't play it around you, how about that?"

"Alright, we'll see how it goes, but I might not be able to stand the thought of you listening to them at all," he replied mock-petulantly, resulting in me giggling and nudging him with my shoulder, which he did back.

By the time we got back to the car we had killed a good hour or so and were just a little bit colder.

"D'you think Bootsie and Marcus will be home yet?" he asked out of the blue as we got into the back seats.

"Umm, I don't know..." I was wary yet excited by that question as I pulled out my phone, then saw I had a text.

**From Bootsie:**

**Hey Kels im stayin at marcus flat tonight. Hope things are going brilliantly with you and noel - he better be being nice!**

I laughed out loud and replied to him, "Funny you should ask me that..."

He looked at me quizzically and I showed him the text; he grinned and chuckled. "Guess that answers that."

I took the initiative at what he was evidently hinting at. "Do you wanna come over and hang out? I've not been by myself at night yet and I'd love some company before bed."

He smiled, "Okay. D'you want me to stay with you? We don't have to do anything - if we do that's great, but... well, it'd be hard for us to go back to mine with the fans and all that. I just wanna hang out a bit longer. If you want I'll take the couch and you can take Bootsie's bed?"

I couldn't help but giggle, he was being so adorable right then. Unfortunately I _knew_ nothing was going to happen that night because in the middle of the meal I realized Aunt Flo had come for a visit... fantastic.

"I think we can safely both sleep in Bootsie's bed if we want to... I'm, uh, indisposed at the moment in the sexual department."

For a moment his brows furrowed and he blinked cluelessly then gasped and made a face of understanding, "Ohh."

I shrugged and nodded, a little pink in the cheeks from embarassment but then recovered after a moment, "Do you need to get anything from your place or...?"

"Oh, no. I've got a bag in the boot... I always keep it just in case I crash at a mate's house or something."

I giggled as I teased, "Is that what you tell all the girls?"

"Just the cute ones that I could have baby sat for in school," he grinned.

This turned my giggle into a full-on laugh as my head lolled back. "Are you _still _on about the age thing?" I turned in my seat to face him. "Is it that you feel you're too old or I'm too young? I know that's a dumb way to phrase it but you know what I mean."

"I think that's the problem. You're pretty mature for your age, but I guess I keep getting hung up on the numbers."

"Don't. Age is only a number unless it comes to pedophiles and young women marrying old men just to get their fortunes."

His eyebrows shot up and down and his eyes widened as he conceded, "Guess that's true."

I tentitavely put my hand on his thigh. He placed his hand on top of mine as we rode along. Within another few minutes we were back at the flat and it was going on 9:30 when we got in the door, Raymond with instructions to be 'on-call' the next day. I'd seen Noel give him a bill as he bade him good-night.

Noel went to the bathroom to change and I used the opportunity to change myself behind Bootsie's screen. I wiggled out of my coat, sweater, and jeans as quickly as possible, then pulled on my fuzzy black sleep pants and pulled my red tank top over a more comfortable bra. Then I did some quick tidying (aka, getting my stuff off the couch so we could actually sit there), sat down and flipped through the tv channels to see what was on.

When he came out, he was wearing a baggy pair of jeans and a simple blue tshirt, his hair tousled all over the place. As sexy as he looked in some of his more 'dressy' clothes, I found this casual look to be the sexiest on him.

"What ya watchin'?" he asked as he sat down beside me.

I shrugged, "Nothing in particular - let's see what all we've got."

Next thing I knew, his arm was around back of me and pulling me into him. I scooted over a little and laid against him while channel-surfing. It was cozy, and by this time my pterydactals had calmed back down into bats. For the longest we just sat there watching TV, talking, and laughing, but at one point I found myself blinking with heavy eyes and looking over to see Noel texting. He felt me move and looked down at me, putting the phone away with a smile.

"Hello, sleepyhead."

"Oh shit, did I fall asleep?" I asked, sitting up and stretching a little.

"Yeah, I was about to wake ya up and see if you wanted to go to bed."

I nodded as I got up, also freeing his poor, trapped arm. He got up and stretched a bit as well, then I grabbed my favorite pillow and led the way back to Bootsie's 'room.' I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Noel was slipping his pants off and while I was still slightly foggy from having just been asleep, I still felt my heart thudding rapidly. We climbed under the covers and met somewhere in the middle.

"I gotta admit, not many of my first dates end like this..." he chuckled.

I giggled a little myself, "It's a first for me, too."

I know we talked a little more, but I remember waking up sometime later on in the night with my back snuggled into his front and our left hands above our heads, touching. The next time I woke, muted grey sunlight was coming through the window and I was alone.


	8. Thanksgiving in England?

I heard Bootsie shuffling around as quietly as possible on the other side of the screen, so I knew Noel wasn't there. I looked for my phone and when I found it, I saw it was 10AM and that there were two new text messages:

**You were sleeping so well i hated to wake u. Left so boostie wouldnt take the piss out of you too much - unless you tell her yourself. :P**

**I had a great time - would love to do it again soon.**

I smiled happily and stretched a little, then flipped out of the bed and textede him back:

**Me too. Have a good day. :)**

Then, I padded into the living room to visit with Bootsie, who smirked as I came in. "Decided to take me bed, eh?"

"Well, you weren't here and I was sure you wouldn't mind," I replied, giggling as I sat on the couch with her.

"I noticed ya left the door unlocked when ya came in last night - you must've been knackered!"

I blushed and looked away and that gave her all the ammunition she needed.

"He came up with you, didn't he? Did he spend the night? Bloody hell, did you do it in my bed?"

I laughed and fell back a little, then sat up, "Certain goings on with my reproductive system kept that from happening."

"Ohh..." she chuckled. "Not like I would've _really_ minded... I'd just make you do the sheets and take the absolute mickey out of you. But he _did _spend the night, yeah?"

I nodded. "He left sometime this morning."

"Brilliant. So... how'd it go?"

We exchanged date stories and she thought Noel's ideas were incredibly awesome and very sweet. Admittedly, all she and Marcus had done was go out to dinner and a movie, then back to his place and went at it like rabbits, explaining why she just went ahead and spent the night.

That Wednesday Liam came in on my shift to buy the latest in a book series he was reading. When he found out it was almost my lunch break, he asked if we could have lunch together. "My treat," he added with a smile, as if this would be the thing to talk me into it.

I had to laugh. It had been awhile since we had actually gotten to talk asside of seeing each other at the book shop; it seemed he really wasn't one much for texting often and I was yet to get a phone call.

"Sure!" I rang to get Bootsie or Marcus up front to let them know I would be leaving the shop for lunch.

"So, how's things been goin' since Halloween?" he asked through his Chow Mein.

I nodded, "Pretty good, actually. Been getting ideas for something I'm wanting to write... it's slow going."

"Oh you write, then? Seems the book store's the perfect job for you!"

"Oh yeah, I feel right at home," I smiled.

"Anything I'd be interested in? You've seen the kind of stuff I read."

"Mmmm... I don't think so," I laughed, half nervously and half at the idea of this sci-fi guy reading a romance novel.

"Well alright, but I may just go outside my norm just to see what your writing's like."

I giggled and he chuckled. Then he put down his chop sticks and steepled his fingers. "So, Miss Kelsey... Could I talk you into a real date sometime and not just lunch?"

My eyes widened in surprise as I put my own food down. "Umm... Well, I'm actually seeing someone..."

His eyes widened as well, "Oh!" he chuckled and blinked. "Well this is embarassing."

I smiled, "Nah it's okay, you didn't know, I'm sorry."

"I should've asked ya sooner - I know pretty birds like you don't last long."

I blushed as we lapsed into a momentary silence.

"So, who's the lucky fella?"

I swallowed the water I had sipped and replied, "You remember the guy that came into the club Halloween?"

"Oh, the KISS reject?" he asked with a certain undertone I couldn't quite identify.

"Well he was going for Paul Stanley, but yes, that's Noel." My brows furrowed.

"Ahh, I see..." he was quiet for a moment and I felt very awkward, but then he smiled. "He's not the jealous type, is he?"

"Mm, I don't think so," I replied, confused.

"Good, 'cause I'd still like to take a look at your book sometime - and of course go for lunch now and then."

I laughed, feeling much more relaxed, "I'd like that, too."

I was home alone Friday night because Bootsie had a date with Marcus after work and Noel had a celebrity charity function to go to, among other 'obligations' that come with being Noel Fielding. Marcus was taking off Saturday for business purposes, I never caught exactly what but I was asked to come in and help Bootsie while she took care of the back office, which I didn't mind.

Saturday night around nine, I recieved a text from Noel. It said simply:

**Id love to be in a fishbowl with u.**

I was slightly confused because I knew that reference from somewhere but couldn't think of where right off. While I was trying to type a reply, he called.

"Hey, I was just texting you!"

"I thought you might be... But I wanted to call."

I smiled, even though he couldn't see. "For the record, I'd love to be in a fishbowl with you, too... even if I can't swim."

I heard him giggle, then he asked, "So you worked today?"

Bootsie had gone out with Marcus that night as well. Noel and I were up well past midnight talking before she finally texted that she would be home in the morning.

"Looks like I'm alone when I go to sleep."

"Oh, Bootsie out?"

"Yup."

"Well, just keep talkin' to me til you're ready to go to sleep."

"But you've been up all day!"

"Do I sound tired? I'm like an owl, love, I thrive in the dark!"

"If that's the case, I wonder why your fans refer to themselves as Field-Mice..." I replied dead-pan.

He laughed, "Are you accusing me of hunting and killing my fans like some Jack the Ripper with feathers?"

"I never accused you of a thing - sounds like a guilty concience to me!"

This made him laugh harder, "I sink my talons into you then eat you. Mmm... doesn't sound like a half bad idea."

"Ohh don't give me images like that..."

"An owl eating a mouse?"

"A particular owl eating a particular Field-Mouse."

He was silent for a moment, then he said in a low, sultry voice, "Sounds kind of like you like the idea."

Now it was my turn to be silent a minute. "Maybe."

"Well apparently I liked the idea too, I've got an erection!"

I absolutely burst out laughing, thinking of all the times he'd said that on Buzzcocks in a joking manner and yet it was still surprising to hear him say it over the phone - to me - in _reference _to me!

"Touch yourself."

I blinked and shook my head, certain I hadn't just heard what I thought I had heard. "Huh?" my voice cracked just a little.

"Touch yourself and tell me how it feels... tell me everything," I could hear the rasp in his voice and my own wicked imagination ran away with itself, imagining him stroking himself. If I had been wet before, this thought made me drip!

So I laid back in my hide-a-bed and walked my fingers along my nether regions, describing to Noel how it felt, from how wet I was to how intense my fingers were against my most intimate spots. In return, he decribed in great detail how hard he was and exactly what he would love to be doing to me right then and it made talking a lot more difficult. Soon both of us had dissolved into sounds of pleasure with a few words here and there.

"Let me know when you're there, Kels... and don't be afraid to make noises."

I blushed a little, realizing how quiet I had been when I normally wasn't in these given situations. I stroked faster, thinking of Noel above me, thrusting in and out and -

"I'm - oh, Noel!" I exlaimed, whimpering and moaning, causing him to do the same on the other end. Apparently by that point it wasn't going to take much for him!

Afterward, we both lay breathing deeply for a moment and I felt myself drifting off.

"Baby?" I heard him whisper.

"Mhm?"

"You still awake?"

I smiled, "Barely."

He chuckled, "Get some sleep, love, I'll text you tomorrow."

"Okay. Sweet dreams."

"Mmm," I could almost hear him smile tiredly. "Goodnight, Kelsey."

"Night night, Noel."

I didn't even think about Thanksgiving until it was just a few days before and I was talking to my mother, who happened to mention it.

"It's not gonna be the same here without you this year," she stated.

I felt a small tug at my heart thinking about not being there to make the dressing and the green bean casserole, not getting to see my younger brother for longer than five minutes at a time. I also wouldn't get to see my sweet grandmother, who had a stroke almost a year before which left her debilitated and on a ventillator, unable to talk and living with my widowed aunt, her sister.

"I know Mom, but you'll have everyone else, surely you can't miss me in the middle of all of that!"

"You'd be surprised how empty the house feels when you don't stop by."

_Damn..._

"I'll call for sure." And it worked out quite well; I got off work and called that day just in time for everyone to be there just before eating. Gramma of course couldn't talk, but I was relayed everything she wrote or mouthed and I became a little teary thinking of her sweet smile. I was alone, for Bootsie told me while she was taking me back to the apartment that she had some last-minute work to catch up on, which made things slightly more lonely.

But then Noel called not long after I got off the phone with them, which was unusual for a weeknight.

"Did you get to call your family today?"

I smiled, "Yeah. It wasn't anything like being there, and I do miss the meal... Man can my mom cook... But it was great to get to talk to them."

"I know it's not the same, but I'm glad you got to talk to them. You talk about your mum a lot. I'd like to meet her one day."

My heart fluttered a bit when he said that; I didn't want to read too much into that so I kept talking, "She's awesome."

"Well I'd better go, I just wanted to check on you. See you later, love."

"Alright, bye."

Suddenly Bootsie burst through the door with an arm load of groceries. My eyes widened as I went to help her.

"This is your last minute work?"

Bootsie just smiled sheepishly as she panted. "Erm... yes?"

"What is all this, anyway?" I asked, taking things out of the bags to put away.

She laid the last bag on the counter, uncovering it to reveal a whole cooked chicken. "This, love, is Thanksgiving for you. I know it's not yer mum's cooking, nor are your family here but I think we'll have just as good of a time here."

I smiled, my heart swelling with grattitude and appreciation.

"Aww, Boots - "

Suddenly there was a knock at the door which she rushed to answer. "Ah, but here's the crowning jewel on this festive occasion!" She threw it open to reveal Marcus, Frankie, and Liam standing there. "Where's Fielding?"

The boys came in, Marcus replying, "He'll be up in a mo, he's getting something out of the car," he kissed Bootsie's cheek, then came over and kissed mine and gave me a one-armed hug. "Happy Thanksgiving, Kelsey."

I positively beamed. "Thanks, Marcus!"

"Alright, mate?" Frankie grinned, giving me a couple of pats on the back and looking around the apartment as he made his way to the couch.

Liam hugged me and kissed my cheek as well, "Hello, Kelsey! Happy Thanksgiving!"

I smiled, "Thanks, Liam!"

Noel came in right at that moment, I saw out of the corner of my eye. He had a certain look on his face that disappeared as I walked toward him, then I noticed he was holding something in his hands. He grinned, holding it up, "Pumpkin Pie."

"Aww!" I took the pie and put it on the counter, then wrapped my arms around his neck. His went around me and I inhaled deeply, smelling his clean, fresh-smelling cologne and his hair tickling my nose.

"Alright, let's break it up, love birds - Noel, I need her in the kitchen - I've got Marcus hookin' up her Wii to her TV in the living room."

"Cool," Noel kissed my cheek as I let him go and went to Bootsie. I hugged her from behind.

"You know you're the most awesome friend ever, right?"

"Oh, do go on!" she giggled, "Okay, I need you to do your macaroni and cheese," she handed me a box of Kraft. "I know it's not yer mum's but you can make it better than I can straight from the box."

I smiled, thinking of the cheese loaf in the fridge and got to work. I peered into our almost-too-small living room and saw the boys hooking up the Wii, talking and laughing. Even if they didn't know each other well and were all very different, it was very surreal and heartwarming to see them all together like that.

"I kinda like this... we may have to do it again at Christmas," Bootsie whispered from beside me, making me smile.

"Bowling, lads?" Marcus asked. The others nodded and grunted in agreement.

"This is actually a typical Thankgiving in America... only it's not so much playing the Wii, but the men watching football."

Bootsie laughed, "Ah, men... Even a giant pond don't change 'em much, yeah?"

"Not really at all."

By the time we were through, the chicken was sitting in the oven to keep warm; Bootsie had brought home pre-made mashed potatoes (which she just called 'mash') and gravy to go with, as well as fresh rolls. We warmed corn on the stove and made stove-top stuffing, and I made the macaroni and cheese. Noel didn't eat much, but the other boys dug right in. Bootsie and I got our plates and we all ate sitting on various pieces of furniture in the living room. We talked and laughed, and had some of the pumpkin pie Noel brought from the shop. Afterward, we played various games on the Wii for a few hours, but then as the hour got late the party began to break up.

Liam and Frankie were the first to leave. When Liam went to tell me goodbye, he hugged me once more, "It was great seein' ya - I'm glad I got to have Thanksgiving with ya!"

I laughed. "It might be the only one you ever have! I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Of course, got to hang out with you!" he stepped back and waved as he left, "Cheers, everyone."

"I'm just gonna walk Marcus down to his car," Bootsie said a moment later, the two going out into the chilly night air.

Noel and I looked at each other, both of us smiling.

"How was your first Thanksgiving away from home?" he asked.

"It was great. You guys have no idea how much that meant to me..."

"Well the way Bootsie was talkin,' if you couldn't have your real family you could at least have some people around you who were _like_ family."

I smiled, nodding, "She's an amazing friend."

"Hey, she didn't do all of it, I had some in this, too!" his voice pitch raised a couple of octaves which made me laugh.

"I'm sorry - you're _both_ amazing friends."

"But aren't we more than just friends?"

"Are we?"

He smiled, leaning in and capturing my lips with his own; it was a passionate kiss right from the start and only built steam from there before he pulled away. I got lost in his hypnotic blue eyes for a moment, but he broke contact long enough to whisper, "I can't wait til I can show you how much more than friends I think we are..."

My ovaries almost exploded right then and there and for a moment I lamented that I worked the next day and he no doubt had some pressing celebrity business. Right around that time Bootsie came in, and along with her a chilly breeze.

He smiled cheekily and kissed my cheek, "I'm gonna get goin,' love. Happy Thanksgiving."

I got up and followed him to the door where he kissed my lips once more before leaving.

"Noel and Liam are completely jealous of each other." Bootsie said suddenly from the bathroom once she was sure Noel had left.

My eyes went wide, "What?"

She leaned out with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth, "Defo!"

My brows furrowed as I crossed my arms. "Why would they be jealous of each other?"

"Oh, I suspect it's 'cause one of 'em has ya and the other one can see ya almost any time he wants, maybe he knows he has designs on ya."

I thought about this a moment and shook my head. "They have no reason to be jealous of each other..."

Bootsie came out of the bathroom and shrugged as I passed her to go change. "Tell them that."

I regarded my reflection in the bathroom mirror a moment. _I'm really not that special. No more special than any woman... They can't be jealous about me. Bootsie's out of her mind. _With that affirmation, I splashed water on my face to wash it before bed.


	9. Disco Pinetree

December began harmlessly enough; Noel called it 'busy season' because so many Christmas specials were going on and of course he was to be a guest on some of them. We got a little more business at the book shop as well, so thus I began calling it 'busy season' as well.

He picked me up the first Friday of the month and that was the first time we ever went to the club by ourselves.

"Wow, you look amazing," he smiled as I opened the door. He wore tight black jeans and a blue-green and black checkered button up over a black tshirt. Over that he had on a black leather jacket and a bowler hat adorned his head.

"I could say the same for you," I replied with a smile and a wink. I wore jeans, my boots, and a black butterfly-sleeved top that cinched below my ribcage and flowed out. My hair was pulled back on either side of the top of my head with clippies and I wore a silver chain necklace with a key on it and a pair of handcuff earrings. He saw these and fingered them, giving me a certain look.

"You have somethin' you want to tell me, love?" he smirked.

I knew what he was referring to and I giggled all the while blushing a little. "I've had these earrings for years, just thought it might be time to break 'em out."

"Oh so this has nothing to do with you giving me subliminal messages of someday wantin' me to handcuff you to my bed?" his voice dropped to a sultry tone as he asked, looking into my eyes with his oh-so-crystal-blue ones.

My knees almost gave out right then and there as my face flushed, but I held his gaze. "Maybe."

He groaned and leaned his forehead against mine, "You keep messin' about like that and we may not make it out of this bloody flat."

"Mmmm, well now we don't want that, do we?"

"Not particularly - I'd rather have a bed that might not give out and I'd definitely rather not do it in your best mate's bed."

I nodded, "Point taken."

He chuckled and kissed me, "You're such a naughty girl," he teased. I slipped on my coat and we headed out and downstairs to the car.

We got to the club and Horace saw us and smiled, greeting us and taking our drink orders. He served us our drinks and we chatted a moment before finding a booth in the back.

"So, how's your week been going?" he asked. The most we had gotten to do that whole week after Thanksgiving and up until now was text, which wasn't normal for us now. We usually got at least three phone calls in a week provided the schedule wasn't too demanding.

"Not bad," I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. "Went to lunch with Liam earlier in the week. He wanted to read what I have written of my "novel" so far," I explained, using air quotes.

He always got a peculiar look when I mentioned Liam, but I never could place it. "How is that coming?" he asked interestedly as he sipped his own drink.

I rolled my eyes, "Slow. But that's mostly because I've got work or other things going on. Used to, I could sit and write thousands of pages... oh, to have the kind of time I had as a teenager..."

"Thousands of pages?"

"I didn't have much of a social life. My summer vacations were spent at home except for an occasional sleepover, so I had a lot of time on my hands. Any friends I didn't have, I wrote about."

"Escapism."

I nodded. "I realized that was truly what it was when things got bad between me and the ex. I turned into my writing and basically lived in a fantasy world when I couldn't stand real life anymore."

He regarded me seriously a moment, there in the club where the people all around us and the bass from the music playing in the background were all a collective roar. The lighting was dim at best but I could still see his eyes under the brim of his hat. "You were only married a year... how long did you date beforehand? What changed so much in a year?"

I blew the air from my cheeks and studied my nails a moment. "We were together for four years before we got married. I thought we'd taken ample time... Things just changed. Circumstances changed. We were in an open relationship and up until a certain point things actually were working out okay. We carried it over into the marriage and he made it plain one night that he didn't love me any more than the other women even though I was his wife... Far as he was concerned, marriage was just a piece of paper."

Noel outwardly winced, shaking his head. "That's pretty cold."

I nodded. "Things got worse when I found another man... he claimed I spent all my time chasing other people when we should have been concentrating on us. Rich coming from the man who had two girlfriends _and _a wife at one point."

"I was in an open relationship once. I won't say I was the perfect man 'cause I wasn't... that resulted in that breakup... But that was it. We always made sure the other was okay. We were the primaries - too many others created too much chaos."

"In the end one of those girlfriends began whispering in his ear, causing us even more problems. So he hid things, didn't talk to me about things... He had private conversations with her about things that should have been said to me. I wound up hacking his IM's... They were trashing me like it was going out of style. Then the kicker was, he gave me a time limit for me to 'straighten up' so we could fix things."

"Are you fuckin' serious?"

I nodded. "And I tried. I wanted so bad for it to work I complied with everything he said. His girlfriend wanted nothing more to do with me and I think that put him in a corner. Her or me. He chose her. All I can say is they deserve each other..." I drank down the rest of my drink and sighed, then looked up and found myself staring into Noel's beautiful, compassionate eyes. His hand came across the table and took mine, rubbing his thumb along the back of it.

"You didn't deserve that. I hope you know that... Shit, I'm kind of surprised you haven't been scared off relationships."

"I had my moments."

A moment of silence lulled over us. Suddenly James Blunts' "I'll Be Your Man" started playing and I giggled.

"I _know_ this ain't your kinda song, but will you please dance with me? I love it!"

"James Blunt? Are you serious?"

I gave him pleading puppy eyes.

"D'aw fuck it," he got up and I led him to the dance floor, moving with the music. He just watched for a moment then started acting silly, doing goofy dance moves in time to the music, looking absolutely ridiculous. I cracked up, but kept on moving as I shook my head and rolled my eyes good naturedly.

"Hey, at least it ain't Coldplay!" I chided.

"I'd fuckin' break up with ya if it were that!"

This made me laugh harder; even though his dancing still got a little silly now and then, we danced in sync with the music. Some moments are just things you know you're going to remember forever, and that was one of them.

Bootsie and I spent that Sunday out looking for Christmas decorations. Back home, the decorating was done up big every year; but this year I would be in a small apartment, so I wasn't going to go too insane... just enough. I even picked up a stocking for Bootsie, myself, Noel, and Marcus.

"I think we oughta do 'Secret Santas' for the stockings," I said absently as I placed the stockings. "The boys are here often enough they could slip theirs into the appropriate stocking on their own."

"Well, more like 'Secret Father Christmases' for us three."

"Crap, I forget."

Bootsie giggled, patting my head, "Don't fret, love, you're excited. How's the thought of bein' away from yer family this year?"

I sighed, "A bit better than at Thanksgiving, but I'm sure I'll have some homesickness closer to it."

She wrapped an arm around me and hugged me close sideways, "We'll make it the best Christmas you ever had!" she said, which made me giggle as I wrapped an arm around her, too.

By the time our shopping spree was over we had stockings, a tree, ornaments, lights, and several other little knick knacks and plushies to put around the flat. When we got home we put togther the tree and took silly selfies of ourselves all tangled up in Christmas lights. I sent one to Noel with the caption of, 'I'm lit! XD' but then remembered that was an Americanism for drunk and he wouldn't know what the heck I was talking about; I had to explain to Bootsie why I was laughing so hard after I sent that picture and she got a kick out of it herself. Within a few minutes Noel had replied:

**Arnt those suppose to go on the tree luv?**

**Yes but they made a slight detour first - I was all wrapped up in the christmas spirit!**

**Silly little girl**

I could almost hear him chuckling softly as he sent that one. Not long later we finally had the lights on and the ornaments as well. It was a very sparkly, well-lit modge-podge of a tree and I was in love with it. I took a picture and sent it to my friends and family and Noel. Noel and Liam were the only ones to send something back because he was the only one not at work because of a time difference. Liam said:

**Cor that's a blindingly bright tree! Lovely though!**

Meanwhile, Noel replied with:

**Shit its like a pine trees goin to a beegees concert! Haha its quite beautiful baby. I dont have a tree this year**

**:( im sorry... you can share ours :)**

Cheers luv

I finished painting all of our names and smiley faces on our stockings in gold glitter puff paint and sent Noel a picture of his and got back in response:

**A stocking for me? Wow i havent had a stocking since i was in school.**

**I thought we might do secret santas?**

**You mean secret father christmas?**

**-.- yes that**

**LOL**

Buzzcocks the next day had me slightly jealous of Caroline Flack because she was right next to my Noel (calling him that was still very strange but it gave me a very warm, fuzzy feeling when I did) and he was incredibly sexy in that particular episode. My heart melted when he was holding the little daschund and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and giggle when he bantered with the audience.

Bootsie shook her head at me playfully as she threw one of the throw pillows at me. "Christ you've got it bad!"

I cuddled the pillow, sighing and nodding, "But can ya blame me?" I showcased the television screen with my hands, much in the style of Vanna White, "Look at him! He is particularly rapeable in this episode!"

"I don't think it'll quite qualify as a rape when you two finally go at it, love. A merciless bumming, perhaps, but not a rape."

I stuck my tongue out at her and giggled. "Time and circumstances have just not been on our side for that."

"You do realize this is probably the longest Noel Fielding's ever had to wait to have sex with his girlfriends?"

"I hope I'm worth it."

I felt a cushion hit me upside the head. "There you go again!"

I blushed, "Sorry, that just came out."

"Damn right! Don't let it happen again!"

A moment of silence elapsed between us before we dissolved into quiet giggles, then we watched the rest of the episode with no more incidents.


	10. Never Mind The Buzzcocks

That Tuesday while I was keying in a couple of new books someone had just turned in for credit, my pocket vibrated. The shop was slow at the moment so I took out my phone to see what was going on. It was Noel:

**Do you and bootsie wanna come to buzzcocks christmas taping thursday evening?**

My jaw went slack and I am pretty sure I stopped breathing for a moment. _Did I just read that right? _

**Wow sure!**

**Okay cool. Youre on my personal list. Youll come to bbc and youll get a pass. After show is a little christmas party. I know you have to work but maybe you can stay for a bit?**

I was extremely excited; realizing that I was scheduled to work the day after something so exciting was a bit of a downer, but it didn't take away from it much. I saw Bootsie coming up from the corner of my eye and I turned to her excitedly.

"Oh my god, Boots, you're never gonna guess...!"

Bootsie's eyes went wide as she sipped her chilled coffee concoction, "Uhm, does it have to do with the raven-haired half of the Boosh?"

I nodded, squeaking and practically bouncing up and down, about to burst.

"Oh wow, this must be big."

"He's invited us to the Buzzcocks Christmas Special taping as his personal guests!"

Bootsie's jaw went slack, just as mine had, "Christ, John Barrowman's hosting!"

I had completely forgotten that little nugget, so as excited as I had been before, now I was even more so. "OMIGOD!" I squealed.

She grinned. "Alright darlin,' looks like we've got us a date with the stars - when is this?"

"Thursday evening. He said there's a party afterward, but I know we ain't gonna be able to stay long 'cause of work..."

Bootsie seemed contemplative for a moment, but then side-hugged me. "Don't fret, love, we'll enjoy ourselves no doubt."

We shared a giddy smile and a quick little jump around, our hands clasped together between us as we giggled like little schoolgirls.

Thursday, Bootsie and I got home quickly as we could. We had showered that morning so we could just come home and freshen up a bit then change and head on our way to BBC Studios. I pulled a fraction of my now longer curls up and around either side of my head with claw clips, leaving the long bottom layers hanging down as well as my bangs and a few curls to frame my face. I applied eyeshadow along with my normal eyeliner and mascara. A dark blue denim skirt, black leggings, my knee-high black boots, and my green sweater, along with some silver jingle bell earrings and a matching necklace completed the look. Bootsie opted for a red sweater that hung off of one shoulder and black jeans with her black boots. She pulled her hair into pigtails ("I know you call 'em pigtails, love, but here we call 'em bunches. I'd love to see the look on Noel's face if you called 'em pigtails!" she said to me with a chuckle when I giggled over how cute they looked), wearing her usual dark eye makeup and a black choker with a faux ruby hanging from it and ruby-red lipstick.

"Right, we ready then?" she asked once we were primped.

"Hell yeah!" I grinned, very excited for the evening ahead.

Once we got there, we went to where Noel told us to go and I spoke up, letting the man at the door know we were on his guest list. He asked our names and we stated them, then he looked at the list and nodded. "Miss Daniels, I have to ask for your ID's so's to prove who you are." Bootsie's ID was okayed, but I began to panic when I couldn't find mine.

"You had it back at the flat though!" Bootsie exclaimed.

I was flustered, and I looked to the man hoping for a reprieve, "Sir, I can't find my ID - I'm sure I left it and my passport at the apartment, but I have my work Visa," I handed it to him, hoping for the best.

He looked over it, then at me, "Just a moment," he said, then talked into a hand-held radio in a voice I could barely hear as he turned away from us and paced the small hallway. Bootsie could tell I was getting nervous and began rubbing my back.

"Send Noel a text, let him know what's going on." I got my phone out and did just that with shaky hands. I didn't want to cause trouble, and I just knew that was what I was doing.

**Having trouble. Id fell out at flat, no passport, gave guy my visa but idk whats happening**

I didn't get anything back from Noel, but all of a sudden he came storming from the end of the hallway that the man with the walkie talkie was standing in. He didn't look very happy.

"What's goin' on, Craig?" he asked loudly enough that it echoed a little, hands on his hips.

The man looked up and at Noel rather defiantly, then turned to us and back to Noel as he pointed and said something I couldn't quite hear.

"Yeh, she's my girlfriend, Craig. Why couldn't you just accept the Visa you've got in yer hand there? S'not like she just went and got the bloody thing just to get into a stupid telly show, now is it?!"

Admittedly I was shocked seeing this side of Noel, even though deep down I knew he wasn't exempt from a normal person's temper. I heard what I assumed was a muttered apology and then Noel walked right past him, snatching my Visa as he came up to us. The look of annoyance didn't really go away but his eyes softened. "C'mon then, ladies, Craig's just havin' a moment," he said as he took my hand and led Bootsie and I both back, him giving Craig a withering look as we passed him.

We turned a corner and came to Noel's dressing room; he opened the door and held it, gesturing for us to go on in then shut it behind him when he came in. Then he closed his eyes and sighed, growling a little. Once he opened them, he just looked a little tired.

"I'm so sorry about that, love," he said as he motioned for us to sit down. We found chairs and did so. Bootsie seemed busy with her phone as Noel came up and crouched beside me. "You didn't loose your ID or Passport, did you?"

"No, I'm pretty sure they're back at the apartment. I probably sat them down somewhere and forgot to put them in my purse," I bowed my head. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, what're you sorry for?" he asked soothingly as he lifted my chin. "That? Craig's an arsehole, Kelsey, he's been rude to other guests before and not just mine. I'm lettin' his supervisor know later, I'm fuckin' sick of his shit."

I almost protested, but thought better of it and nodded, almost mirroring the tired look he'd had.

Leaning forward, he kissed my cheek and smiled a small smile. "The show's gonna start in about thirty minutes. Wanna hang about back here while I'm gettin' made up and stuff?" he grinned cheekily.

I would have accepted, but I remembered Bootsie, "I think Boots and I will go find our seats, get settled in and all that."

"Okay, love. Your choice of front row. Oh - and here are your passes. They were gonna bring 'em up to you when your ID's cleared but, well, we know how that went."

Bootsie and I put our passes around our necks and on the way out the door, Noel spun me around and pecked my lips with his own. "Have a good time, love!"

Throughout the taping, Bootsie and I almost never stopped laughing. We had front-row seats and we could see everything pretty well, even if it was just a little ways away. John Barrowman was flamboyantly hilarious and the banter between the entire cast was spot-on funny. Once in awhile I could see a sligtly distant, annoyed look on Noel's face, but he would recover quickly and be his normal, charming self. I felt my pocket vibrate at one point, so I took a look:

**I see u**

I stifled a giggle, meeting his gaze and smiling coyly.

**I see you too. **

His eyes met mine with a smirk a moment later, which I countered with a grin. Text communication stopped until the end of the show, which even though it lasted longer than it did on television, for Bootsie and I it was over much too soon.

**Ill be right there to fetch u**

I got this as the audience were beginning to leave. The cast members headed toward the back of the set. I saw Noel go up to an older couple not far down from Bootsie and I and chat with them for a moment.

"I bet that's his mum and dad," Bootsie whispered.

I squeaked, looking at her with wide eyes. "Shit! I never thought about his family being here!" I hissed.

Bootsie laughed, "I'm sure they've gotta be pretty cool people to 'ave had Noel as a son, mate."

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment, "Even so..."

Hands on my arms caught my attention and made me jump a little. Noel giggled from in front of me. "How was the show, girls?" he asked, looking between Bootsie and myself.

"'Twas great, mate," Bootsie grinned, getting up and stretching. "But christ, sittin' so long's got me all crumpled feelin.'"

Noel nodded, "Yeh, me too. So listen, why don't you girls come on back, we're havin' a little Christmas party. This's our last show of the year and all, so."

"Actually, I'm gonna shove off, Noel. Bed's callin' me name and I've got work in the mornin,'" Bootsie said suddenly and my heart sank. "You go ahead and stay on if you want, Kelsey. Would it be any trouble for you to get her a lift, Noel?"

Noel shook his head, "No, not at all." He led us out to where we'd come in and we both walked her to the car. The street lights were on bright and were pretty much the only illumination in the parking lot; not even a moon. His phone went off right as we got to the car, which turned into him taking a phone call.

Suddenly, Bootsie turned me to her and whispered, "Now I want you to listen very carefully, love. If he asks you to come home with him after the party, you're gonna tell me tomorrow morning that you're not feeling very well - you think you ate something off at the party. Then you're gonna call the bookshop and either speak to Marcus or leave him a message saying the same thing."

I took this in, then I just had to ask, "... And if not?"

"Well your arse'd better be at work with me tomorrow then, aye?!" Bootsie laughed, slapping me good-naturedly on the upper arm, which earned her a blown raspberry from me.

"Sorry 'bout that," Noel apologized, pocketing his phone once more.

"Well, I'm off. Thanks fer walkin' me out," Bootsie hugged me and kissed my cheek, then hugged Noel and they exchanged cheek kisses as well.

"I got a bit of makeup on you," Noel chuckled.

Bootsie shook her head, "Better be savin' that fer Kelsey, hadn't you, Fielding? Night, guys," she smiled and shut the car door as she started it up, then backed up and pulled out of the parking lot and drove out into the night. It was then that Noel and I began walking back to the building. His arm went around my shoulders and pulled me close.

"You ready t' meet John, Phill, and me mum and dad?"

I blew the air out of my cheeks as we reached the door, "John and Phill sure, but your parents... ehh..."

He chuckled, "They'll love you. They've been wantin' me to bring you 'round."

"Have they?"

"Mhmm," he nodded, "but I thought this way might be better for the first time."

Normal people don't think that way when it comes to their significant other meeting their parents. But Noel Fielding isn't a normal person, and that's not just a reference to his celebrity status.


	11. A Time of Firsts

Phill Jupitus, who was rumored to be somewhat of a 'miserable' person actually seemed really nice (which I had hoped, especially after he freaked out about Mr. Blobby earlier in the evening), and John Barrowman was every bit friendly as he seemed on TV, as well as quite talkative and just plain cheerful. His partner was there by his side for most of the party, his smiling, quiet(er) supporter. Noel's parents were of course very nice people. His father was a bit boisterous while his mother was the quieter one of the pair. They were very interested in how I'd come to end up in England and my work at the bookshop, and they wanted to know how we met. I looked at Noel, a bit surprised that he hadn't already regaled them. He shrugged, making a face and blowing the air from his cheeks a little, "It just never came up, love." So, red-faced, I told them the story. I could hear Noel slightly choke on his drink next to me, then chuckle. "Shit, the way you tell it makes me sound like some sort of long-legged freak who hides in the shadows and devised the worst way possible to get yer number!" he smiled as he teased me good-naturedly.

"Shh, she's not supposed to know that's how it really happened, son!" Mr. Fielding jokingly ducked away from Mrs. Fielding, who looked ready to (playfully) give him a thump on the head.

"C'mon, Dad, let's get some drinks, yeah? Leave Mum a minute so she doesn't knock yer bleedin' block off!" Noel chuckled, kissing my cheek ans giving me a wink before leading his dad away.

Mrs. Fielding watched them walk away with a small chuckle, then turned to me with smiling, kind eyes. For a moment we just talked about how silly men could be, and that no matter where you came from, men were still very much little boys in older bodies. Then she asked, "How long are you staying here in England, darling?"

"Tentative plan right now is a year," I replied with a slightly nervous nod and smile.

"A year?" she asked, nodding as she stepped a little closer, closing the distance between us a little. "What if something were to change? Would that affect how long you stayed?"

Curious, my brow furrowed a little as my head cocked to the side, "How do you mean?"

It was then that Noel and his father came back and Mrs. Fielding stepped back and gave me a gentle look that told me that the discussion we had been having should be dropped. I nodded discreetly as Noel handed me my drink. "Thank you!" I smiled to Noel, taking a sip.

They all fell back into conversation and I half politely listened, half wondered what Mrs. Fielding was trying to get at. I never could quite leave things alone easily, and this has always resulted in me stressing out far more than necessary. Eventually, Noel brought me out of my half trance by asking me something that I had to answer. Oh well, at least I wouldn't be puzzling over Mrs. Fielding's question for awhile.

All too soon the party was over and Noel's parents were on their way home, departing with hugs and 'it was lovely to finally meet you's!' Noel smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked back to his dressing room so he could get changed. First though, he set about washing his face.

"So did you have a good time?" he asked as he stood in front of the mirror and used a moist towlette to wipe the KISS-esque makeup off of his face.

I smiled, sitting on a small couch, "Oh yeah! Meeting John and Phill was awesome! And your parents are so nice!"

He chuckled a little and his eyes met mine, a half smile played on his lips. "Told ya they wouldn't bite."

I giggled, then briefly remembered what his mother had asked me earlier in the evening. I was about to tell him about it when he turned to me, now free of makeup and suddenly shirtless, 'happy trail' peeking out from his jeans and his long hair tousled in such a sexy way I was stunned right back into being silent. He noticed my jaw slack and smirked a little; normally when a guy straight up knew he was good looking and cocky about it, it got on my last nerve. Not Noel. With him, I found it endearing and adorable. The man was slowly turning me inside out in more ways than one...

He was now sitting next to me, coaxing me to turn towards him. He pulled me close and our lips met, then the entire world was forgotten around us. The kiss became deep and passionate; my arms wrapped around him as his did me, and I relished in the feel of his skin, warm and pleasing, against the palms of my hands. Suddenly his arms were moving, hands up my sweater, his palms trailing up my back, under my arms and around to my fabric-and-lace-clad chest. The kiss broke for a moment as our eyes, glassy and half-closed, met and his hands molded to my breasts. Our breath caught simultaneously, then I moaned and melted into his palms. His hands went to my back and pulled me close once more, kissing me with a ferocity that I could only chalk up to animal instinct. He kissed his way from my lips to my ear by way of my jaw, nibbling as he went. His breath was hot but made me shiver.

"Do I have to take you home, baby?" It was a plea. His entire frame was slightly stiff, prepared for the possibility of either having to wait once more, or to have me right there on that couch and then take me home and not get to sleep next to me afterward. All of this from that sentence.

"No. I can call in."

His mouth came down on mine, tenderly this time. His forehead leaned against mine and he peered into my eyes again, "Then this can't happen here. I'm takin' you home... with me."

My heart thumped and the pterydactals were back in full force, causing me not to be able to function properly for a moment. Those impossibly gorgeous eyes were on mine again, imploring me for an answer or at least some kind of acknowledgement, which I gave when I nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay."

He smiled, kissed my lips once more, then got up and offered me a hand up as well. I took it, rising and stretching a little as he found another shirt of his to slip on for the ride home, then his jacket as he dialed a number on his phone. "Raymond? Yeh, I'm ready. I'll have Kelsey with me as well. No, just to my flat. Right." He hung up and slipped the phone into his pocket, then slid into his jacket. "Raymond's just up the road, he'll be along in a minute."

I nodded, the pterydactals still going strong as he shut off the light to his dressing room and we walked down the corridor and to the private entrance where Raymond would be picking us up. He waved to the night guard on duty as we walked out; almost as soon as we stepped out into an icy chill Raymond was right there, the car a warm, welcome sight.


	12. Your Sex is on Fire

A/N: Happy Birthday, Noel! 3 To celebrate, here's the chapter some of you have been waiting for! Enjoy! 3

The lights of the motorway and the occasional Christmas lights played upon the darkened windows of the car. Noel had the privacy screen pulled and he and I were almost impossibly laying tangled with each other making out as Alice Cooper sang 'Be With You Awhile' softly in the background from Noel's iPod. Occasionally we would look up, our eyes meeting, our noses sometimes touching in a gentle nuzzle. I could feel the evidence of how much he was looking forward to finally getting home pressing into me through his tight trousers and it only made me hotter, and while I was enjoying the journey to his flat I found myself hoping it would end soon.

Once we stopped and Raymond let us know we were there, Noel checked to see where we were parked. Satisfied that this was where he wanted to be, he turned to me, "I dunno if there's anyone lurkin' or anything, but go ahead and scoot out my side and we'll get on inside." I nodded and came out not long after him as he scanned around, then helped me out as he chuckled. "Don't see or hear anyone. Must be late enough they're all gone home."

I figured he meant press, paparazzi, and possbily fangirls; I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like for him, to come home and have to make sure he's not going to get harassed... It was unfathomable. Once he'd walked around the car and given Raymond his night's pay, he came back and took my hand, leading me to the back entrance and deftly unlocking the door. Slipping inside, he turned on the light and brought me through a small laundry room, then through to a small kitchen, and finally what one could call the living room. It was dimly lit, and the walls were covered in colorful paintings, but I was paying more attention to the man standing in front of me, a small smile playing on his lips as he reached over and brushed back a renegade curl.

"So, how 'bout a quick tour?" he clapped his hands together, gesturing toward where we had just came from. "We came in through the laundry room, there's the kitchen, this is the sitting room. Here's the stairs," he took my hand and led me up a short flight of steps which, like the living room, were lined all the way up with more colorful paintings. A small hallway was to our right and he walked in front of me with my hand still in his, "Here on the left is the spare bedroom, kind of a storage and guest room. To the right is the guest bathroom, toilet, all that. And here at the end, is my room."

He opened the door and muttered under his breath a little as he turned an overhead light on and begun picking up clothes off of the floor and the king sized bed, throwing them in a hamper by a tall dresser not far from the door. The walls were covered in paintings, posters, and photographs of all kinds. I recognized a few Boosh people on a quick glance. On each side of the bed were smal black tables with small lamps on them. On the far side of the room were two doors; one opened up into a bathroom while the other was closed and what I guessed was a closet.

Noel flicked on one of the lamps and came over to turn off the overhead light. "Sorry it's a little messy," he clicked his tongue a little as he smiled, "I'm not a very good housekeeper."

I laughed, "Nah, that's fine. It's not bad as you think."

He chuckled. "Thanks. Hey, I'm goin' to go to the toilet, um, here's my iPod - over there's the deck and speakers for it," he pointed to the bedside table I was standing almost right in front of. "Just flick through and find whatever, yeah?"

"Okay," I smiled, walking over to the table and hooking the device in. The bathroom door clicked shut as I kicked off my boots and began searching through songs. Many artists I didn't recognize, but when I came to Mint Royale's 'Blue Song' I couldn't help but chuckle. Did he even know about some of the fanfiction written based on his and Julian Barratt's characters from The Mighty Boosh that came from the video to this song?! I bobbed my head with the music as I looked around the room, drinking in the photographs and posters in better detail. A few minutes passed with me doing that, and right around the end of the song I spied copies of the pictures he and I had taken together at the London Eye, which were in a small collage frame sitting on the other beside table. I smiled fondly remembering that night as I walked over and picked up the frame.

"I asked me mum for a frame a couple weeks ago," I jumped a little when he suddenly seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on ya."

I giggled, setting the frame back down as I turned toward his shirtless frame, "It's fine, I guess I was in my own little world."

"Yeah?" he closed the gap between us and wrapped his arms around me as the familiar strains of 'Your Sex is On Fire' began to play in the background. "Well come out then, love. You're in _my_ world now," I could feel him pressing into my thigh, making me hot once more. "It can be dangerous, colorful, and even sometimes downright mad," then his face wound around asside of mine and he breathed, "and once you're in, you can never leave."

I would have laughed were I not so turned on. Next thing I knew he was pushing me up against the wall behind me, his lips coming down on mine feverishly as he effectively pinned me in place. My hands slid up his chest and went up to his neck, my fingers going up and tangling in his thick, long, dark hair. He moaned into my mouth and began caressing my tongue with his own, in turn making me moan as well.

His hands found their way under my sweater and he parted his lips from mine to stand back and lift it above my head and off of me as I lifted my arms to assist. One arm wrapped around the small of my back and brought me forward, the other wenr around and found my bra closure; as his lips met mine once more, I could feel him deftly undoing the hooks. Once undone, he took the straps and glided them off of my arms, pulling away from me as he watched the bra fall away and my breasts swing free. His palms kneaded them and his mouth found mine. I sucked his bottom lip, causing him to moan and kiss up my jawline, down the side of my neck (sucking a little along the way), my collar bone. Then he captured a nipple in his mouth, going from one to the other and sucking it and tonguing it in tantric rhythm, making my voice break a little as I cried out.

His hands laid on the small of my back and pulled my waist to his and I could feel him, hard and throbbing through his oh-so-tight jeans. My fingers reached out and fumbled with his button and zipper; when I got them undone, he stepped back a moment to shimmy out of them and his underwear. Once his manhood sprang free, I grabbed his hands and put them at my skirt's button and zipper on the side as my mouth found his again, nibbling and sucking his bottom lip. Once I felt him undoing my skirt, I began stroking his length, causing him to stop kissing me for a moment and moan aloud, then rest his forehead on mine as I worked.

Dropping to my knees I took him into my mouth, sucking and moving back and forth. His hand rested on my head, balling up and tugging my hair lightly on occasion. I could hear him panting and moaning and it only motivated me to keep it up. Suddenly he pulled his hips back from me and helped me up, guiding me backwards to the bed. Once he had me lain down he knelt next to me and said with a chuckle, "If you'd kept going, this would've been a short night, love!"

I laughed a little, lifting my hips as he tugged at the waistband of my tights, rolling them down my thighs, my legs, then casted them to the side and came crawling back toward me with his eyes on my lacy panties.

"Hmm... I like those. That's the only reason I'm not gonna rip 'em and just have you right now," he taunted in a sultry tone with a look of pure, uninhibited desire.

_Oh my sweet - _

He hooked his fingers in the sides of my panties, getting them off as quickly as he could and tossing them to the floor before crawling in between my legs to kiss me long and deep, gripping my hips and teasing my moistness with his shaft.

"Oh, Noel..."

"Shhh, baby" he shushed me gently, nuzzling my nose with his own. "I think it's time fer a bit of payback..."

Before I could ask what he meant, I felt his fingers stroking outside of me, teasing. I whimpered as those fingers slowly went through the slit, finding my button and pushing it continuously.

"Mmm, you like that, baby?" he all but growled.

I whimpered once more in reply, earning a smile and a deep, sensuous kiss that only made me crave him more. Suddenly, a finger slipped inside of me, pumping in and out and hitting that wonderful spot, making me cry out.

A smug smirk of male satisfaction played on his lips as they found a nipple and began teasing it much in the same fashion for a moment before deciding to move further south. When I felt his mouth on me I was certain I was going to come undone then, but I held on and he kept pace, slowing down enough to let me unwind a moment before going back at it once again.

"God, Noel, I can't... much longer..." I whimperingly pleaded.

"Shh, it's okay, baby, I'm comin'," he said soothingly in the sexiest way possible, then crawled back up to me and kissed my lips. I could taste myself on his tongue as I took the condom he handed me and unwrapped it and put it on him. Then I adjusted my hips as I felt him sliding inside of me. I gasped as inch by inch he filled me; he pulled his lips away from mine and our eyes met as he began to thrust, slowly at first, but then built a rhythm which I met with my own counter-thrusting. My arms fell from around his neck, one hand taking hold of his arm and the other balling up the sheets. He would sometimes take a nipple into his mouth, biting, nibbling, and sucking, while twiddling the other between his thumb and finger.

Under his skillful teasing and forceful thrusting I felt myself coming close. "Oh... oh, Noel, baby I -" I cried out my release as I exploded in white-hot heat, my entire body being consumed by the flames. My undoing was evidently his undoing, as I felt him thrust faster and harder, then stop entirely. I tightened around him as my own orgasm began coming to an end, then once he was spent he rolled over, slipped the condom off and tied it, then laid beside me.

We just lay there trying to breathe for a moment. My trembling legs found relief in laying down and relaxing their clenched muscles. After a moment or so, he turned to me, propping his head up, "You have no idea how long I've..." he began, but couldn't continue and just smiled. "I'm glad you're callin' off tomorrow."

I smiled as well, "Me, too."

We were laying in bed later on that night (or if you'd rather, very early the next morning) talking and almost ready to pass out when Noel propped his head up.

"Your ex husband's an absolute fuckin' twat."

My eyes widened a little; the security light below the window was the only light we had, so while I couldn't see his exact expression, I could tell he was thinking.

"Oh?"

"I know we don't get to spend a lot of time together right now, but from the moment we started talkin' at the club I... I knew I wanted to get to know you."

I was completely caught off guard.

He shrugged. "Anyway, he was stupid lettin' go of a sure thing. Even when he was a fuckin' ballbag you still stood beside him and tried to save your marriage. That's true love."

"He didn't think I loved him. Funny, you and everyone else have said the same thing but he couldn't see the forest for the trees."

Noel shook his head. "His loss, my gain," he whispered.

Next thing I knew, his arm wrapped around my middle and his head laid on my chest; I smiled and began stroking his hair, tousling it gently with the tips of my fingers. Within a moment he was snoring a little and I knew he was asleep. It didn't take long for me to get lost in the rhythm of his breathing and fall asleep myself.


	13. Unexpected

I had set the alarm on my phone so I could call in and let Marcus know I wouldn't be at work. When it woke me, I turned it off quickly so as not to wake Noel, but it didn't phase him. It was still dark out and the street light remained the only light to see with, but I could see that he slept on his tummy with the comforter covering his butt, his feet sticking out. His face was smooshed into his pillow and his hair was all over the place. I sat there a moment just listening to his soft snoring and watching him sleep before I decided I'd better get the phone call over with.

I slipped from the bed, pulling on my sweater as I made my way toward his bathroom while using my phone as a flashlight and dialed the shop's phone. I breathed a mental sigh of relief when I didn't have to talk to Marcus, but rather left a message on the machine. Not even a moment later I got a text from Bootsie:

**Youre not here so i assume youre with him... About fuckin time!**

I smiled and shook my head, then took care of a couple of things and went back into the bedroom, taking off my sweater again and crawling back into bed. Noel stirred and opened his eyes with a groan and looked at me curiously.

I cringed, "Sorry, had to call in," I whispered, getting into a comfortable position.

He just nodded with a faint smile and now-closed eyes as he kissed my cheek and wrapped an arm around me. Content and off the hook from work, I sighed and closed my eyes, sleep meeting me not long after.

I awoke later on to find the mid-day sun, strained through grey clouds, coming through the window. I stretched and sighed; the bed was so cozy and I was feeling particularly lazy. I looked over and found Noel still deep in sleep, turned away from me and clutching his pillow. I decided to crawl out of bed, get my clothes and purse, and grab a shower before he awoke. As a strange habit, I always kept a razor in my purse and this was one of those times I was thankful I had. I made quick work of shaving my legs first, then tested the water temperature of the shower before stepping in and shutting the sliding glass door. I let out a contented sigh and closed my eyes as the blissfully-warm water washed over me.

Suddenly I felt a cool breeze and arms around me from behind and I jumped a little in surprise, but then relaxed when I heard Noel whisper in my ear, "Easy, love, it's just me." One of his hands rose, gliding with the moisture of the water up to my breast and cupped it while the other pulled me back toward him. I could feel the evidence that 'morning' brought with him as he did, and I sighed once more. His other hand then slid between my legs and massaged there a moment before turning me to face him and pushing me back against the wall underneath the showerhead. I gazed into his slightly makeup-smudged eyes and swooned at his tousled hair briefly before his lips were on mine and my eyes closed in sensual bliss as the entire bathroom steamed except for one lone, passionate hand print on the glass of the shower.

After the rather long, steamy shower I was working a little bit of product into my curls to keep them from frizzing. I had an over-sized towel wrapped around myseldf and was standing on my head to do this; not but a moment later I heard a chuckle and out of the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of Noel, already dressed from the waist down and his hair already blown dry (I assumed he went to the guest bathroom to do that) and smirking at me as he leaned against the doorjamb.

"Yes?" I smirked myself as I stood upright and flipped my hair around as I did, teasing my scalp a bit with my fingers.

He just shook his head. "I want you to spend the weekend with me."

My eyes widened a bit as I turned to face him, then he walked toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I rarely if ever get to actually _see_ you, and I've finally got you all to myself; don't think I'll let go so easily..." he murmured, touching his forehead to mine. "We can go get some tea, get you a bag later on... Just be us for awhile without me having to take you home."

My knees felt heavy and my heart as though it was going to burst. "Okay," I managed with a smile.

He smiled in return and gave me a quick, gentle peck on the lips before he pulled back and left me alone in the bathroom to finish up.

Once we'd both gotten dressed and ready, we went down to meet Raymond at the car and I saw more of the details of his place now that there was some light coming in from outside (amazingly, it was actually sunny out - but that didn't stop the cold). His living room was full of his colorful, abstract paintings and as I had guessed, they lined up and down the stairs as well. We went out the back way and there were a couple of girls at the gate who giggled and waved when he came out, shouting, "Hi, Noel!" and such.

He smiled and chuckled, waving, "Hello!"

I got curious looks from them, but none actually spoke to me or to him about me, but I did see them whisper to each other which made me almost instantly paranoid. But then I felt him squeeze my hand and it melted away.

We actually ended up having lunch in Croydon at a little Italian place; I got a seafood and pasta dish with tiramisu as dessert. Noel had a vegetarian dish and decided he wanted to share my tiramisu, which made me giggle because originally he hadn't wanted dessert.

"Hmm, that looks good," he said as he knit his eyebrows together and leaned a little bit closer to me.

I smiled, "I know, right?"

He smiled as well, and I noticed him edging closer and closer.

"Are you trying to _steal _my tiramisu?"

He shifted his eyes left and right for a moment, "Maybe."

I sighed with a roll of my eyes and tried to contain a smirk. "Would you like half? I shouldn't have the whole thing, anyway."

"Well, maybe just a little bit..." Noel dug his fork into my tiramisu and took a bite, looking at me a bit sheepishly as he did so, then I came undone and couldn't stop laughing. I got a raised eyebrow and a questioning look for this.

"You don't order your own dessert, but then decide mine looks good and wanna share it. I just... it's cute, okay?" I chuckled.

He ended up with half of my tiramisu, which I really didn't mind; it was an endearing moment and if I could have captured the expressions on his face and put them away for later, I certainly would have.

We arrived at Bootsie's flat not long after she had gotten off work, and of course in true Bootsie fashion, she teased us.

"Well, it's about fuckin' time! Look at you two - you can _tell _you've had a good fuck! Must've been damn good, you took til half past two to text me back!"

I blushed and Noel outright laughed, then smirked smugly at me which made me blush even more.

I packed my duffel bag (since really that's the only bag I had besides my huge suitcases) and after a few more minutes of visiting with Bootsie while she got ready for a date with Marcus, we went back down to Raymond and we decided to head back to Noel's place for the evening. Upstairs, I rifled through my duffel bag in just my bra and skirt looking for something a little more comfortable than my sweater and skirt to wear when I felt arms around me from behind. A lazy smile crept across my face as I tilted my head to one side so he could easier access where he was kissing on my neck.

"Hello there... back so soon?" I purred.

He stopped a moment, then tightened his grip and kissed my shoulder before resting his chin on it and I could almost hear him smile as he replied. "I've got you all to myself - I'm gonna be up your arse the entire time."

I snorted, then clasped a hand over my mouth to try and conceal laughter, but failed as I was shaking with it, "Let's get one thing straight - nothing's going up my 'arse,' not even your sexy self. Exit only!"

He tutted and shook his head, "You know what I meant you pervert... Now turn around and let me ravage you properly."

Later that night found us ordering Chinese takeaway (which Raymond kindly went and got for us) and eating it by candlelight in the living room. I found myself wandering around the flat in an oversized tshirt and my pajama shorts while he took a phone call, gazing at his paintings and marvelling at how truly talented he was. I was almost certain I even remembered watching him do one or two of those paintings in a youtube video, which made me smile.

I noticed him coming back downstairs out of the corner of my eye and turned when I felt him nearing.

"Like them?" he asked with an almost nervousness in his voice.

"I do! Your mind is an amazing thing... That and you can actually get it down on canvas and it look - well, amazing."

He smiled shyly and chuckled, leaning against a spot of bare wall, "The inside of my head is _weird... _I dunno if _I_ even wanna be in here sometimes. But thanks. Do you paint?"

"I've delved into it a little bit... I'm a novice at best. My mom paints and, well, she's damn good. I had hoped some of that had rubbed off, but I guess drawing and writing are more my fortay."

"I'd love to see your drawings sometime."

Now it was my turn to be shy. "I'll have to see if I have anything with me. I know I have the lint ball somewhere - I made a whole diagram of his emotions once."

He laughed, "_That _I'd like to see!" Then he took my hand and led me over to the couch where a guitar lay. It hadn't been there before, so he must have brought it down with him. He picked it up and we both sat down.

"I play bass, but I've been learnin' guitar as well. Julian plays guitar and did on a lot of our Boosh music. I'd always wanted to play but just couldn't be arsed to learn. He gave me a few lessons but I've kind of been going on my own fer a bit. It's not perfect, but... I'm getting there."

Then he began strumming cords that were familiar to me. I'd heard this song so many times and knew almost every word by heart. The Rolling Stones, "Wild Horses." For someone who was still learning, I thought he played rather well - then he surprised me even more when he opened his mouth and sang...

_Childhood living is easy to do_

_The things you wanted I bought them for you_

_GracelFULL lady you know who I am_

_You know I can't let you slide through my hands..._

_Wild horses, couldn't drag me away_

_Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away _

_I know I've dreamed you a sin and a lie_

_I have my freedom but I don't have much time_

_No sweeping exits or off stage lines_

_Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind _

_Wild horses, couldn't drag me away_

_Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday_

_Wild horses, couldn't drag me away_

_Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday_

He did change the lyrics a little bit, I noticed, and the way he sang, so sweet and sincere, brought the pricks of tears to my eyes which I somehow kept under control. I'm pretty sure had I not been holding myself together, I would have been a melted puddle from the adorable, slightly apprehensive smile he gave me when he finished playing.

"And you expect me to believe you're still learning?" I asked simply. "Noel, that... you play so well! And your singing... I've never heard your 'serious' voice."

"Not many people do," he replied quietly as he satthe guitar up on the large, overstuffed chair in the corner. "It's reserved for certain, special people."

Suddenly the phone rang again and he growled a little, "It's fuckin' eleven at night, for the love of _god, _why does this thing keep _ringing?!_"

He shot a look of annoyance and apology at me and I shrugged sympathetically as he rose to take the phone out of the room and answer, not paying attention to the ID on the little screen.

"Hello?" I heard him answer quite tersely, then didn't hear anything after that even though his footfalls stopped dead. A murmur. Then he came back into the room, a strange look on his face as he handed me the phone. I gave him a questioning look and he just continued to gesture it toward me, that look still there.

"Hello?"

"Love, are you sittin' down?"

"Bootsie? What's going on?"

"Your mom's been trying to call you all evening, and then I tried!"

"My phone's up in the bedroom - Bootsie, what is going _on?"_

"Kelsey... yer dad's died."


	14. Back Home

I understood the look. My hand began to shake and Noel took the phone before I dropped it. I barely heard his voice as he talked to Bootsie and began scrambling around looking for what I only presumed to be a piece of paper and a pen. I could only really hear my own heart beat in my ears. My dad. Gone. Dead...

My dad and I rarely saw eye to eye, and to be honest he wasn't ever a real dad - not like the dads of my friends or dads on TV. He didn't like spending a lot of time with my brother and I as kids, and he had next to no patience and a short temper. Bad memories always outshone the good ones, especially with him. But sitting there, absorbing the news, I went into a tailspin and somewhere along the way became completely numb, staring straight ahead and lacking the capability to hear. I didn't come back around until I felt myself shaking, then my tunnel vision cleared and I hear Noel and felt his hands on my shoulders, gently shaking me.

"Kelsey!" he saw my head shake and my eyes come back into focus. "Kelsey, are you alright?"

My eyes shifted all around the room, then back to him. "What happened?"

His eyes were sympathetic and his face clearly showed he had no idea what he should be doing. "We should get you home."

I nodded, still not fully aware of what was being said, "I need to call mom," I said, not even recognizing my own voice as I spoke and feeling like I was floating on a cloud outside of myself rather than walking. I felt Noel beside me, his hand at the small of my back, and I was grateful for that because I honestly didn't know whether or not I might just pitch backwards off of that cloud and fall.

All I can remember about that phone call is my mom's quiet voice and hearing her cry. That tore me up and almost sent me over the edge. Noel never left my side except to call Raymond while packing his bags, because I remember him apologizing for disturbing him after he said he wouldn't need him anymore that night while rifling through his clothes. I don't even remember getting dressed and going down to the car to head back to Bootsie's flat and get some of my things for flight, nor do I remember the call Noel made in the car on the way for three red-eye flight tickets and the request for a driver. I do remember getting to Bootsie's and her giving me a hug with Marcus standing in the background, offering his sincerest condolences.

"I'm so sorry, love. I know you weren't close... but still he's yer dad and... Well, c'mon, let's get packed and ready to go."

Next thing I knew Bootsie, Noel, and I were in the back of the car headed for Heatherow. Noel had a long coat and a hat over his eyes to try and avoid being seen. I remember his arm around me and his hand holding mine in my lap while Bootsie sat beside me with a hand on my knee. We arrived at the airport and rather quickly got boarded in First Class, and then I don't remember much of anything until waking hours later to two worried faces within minutes of us unboarding the plane in Nashville.

"Hey, love. You know where you are, yeah?" Bootsie asked gently from my left. I was in the middle, with Noel being in the seat by the window.

I nodded, stretching groggily and trying to shake myself back into conciousness. I was on a plane. Why? Oh yeah...

Noel had now removed his 'disguise' and I could see the concern and borderline exhaustion in his eyes. "You slept the whole way from London, baby."

I blinked and shook while still stretching. "Gah, no wonder I'm so stiff!"

"I tried to wake you earlier but you were out cold," Bootsie added.

I nodded, "I believe it. So we're in Nashville?"

"Yep, 'bout to leave the plane," Noel replied. "I'll take care of luggage if you girls want to see about finding something to eat."

Once it was time to leave the plane, Bootsie and I grabbed our carry-ons and exited with Noel not too far behind, but he split off from us to go to luggage pickup and we went in search of a food court or something. We found a few different restaurants located within the airport and decided on a sandwich place and split a sub.

"How far do you live from here?" Bootsie had asked me between quiet bites of our sandwich.

"About an hour or so south," I replied. "Interstate should get us there in no time, rush hour is well over with."

We continued eating in silence and shortly after Noel joined us with the luggage and said he wasn't hungry, but could go for coffee - which he did. Then we found our hired car, which I thanked Noel for after finally realizing what he had been saying when he mentioned hiring a car - he'd hired the driver as well.

The drive from Nashville to my sleepy little hometown was rather quiet. For the most part, I think Noel and Bootsie slept while I was actually awake. I watched the scenery fly by, mostly dry grass and dry, crusty leaves flying in the wind after just breaking off of the trees. No snow on the ground as usual, even though in England we had already seen a little snow. I would have given anything to have Noel or Bootsie awake right then, but the phone suddenly ringing and showing my mother calling wasn't comforting - but I knew she needed me.

"Hi, Mom."

_**"Did your flight land okay?"**_

_Shit... I forgot to let her know._

"Yeah, we're fine, we're riding down now."

_**"We?"**_

"Bootsie and Noel are with me."

_**"... Who's Noel?"**_

I could have died right then, but I just sighed. "He's my boyfriend. He's the one who paid for all of us to come and hired the car."

_**"How'd he do that? That's an awful lot of money."**_

Even though my mom was being her normal, ever-questioning and doubtful self, I could hear the bone-weariness in her voice and the rawness from probably crying into her pillow in her room.

"I'll explain later Mom, I'm sorry I forgot to mention it. Anyhow, the others are sleeping so I'm going to hop off. We shouldn't be but about forty five minutes now."

_**"Okay, see you soon."**_

"See you soon, Mom... Bye." I choked up a little as I hung up.

As I predicted, within 45 minutes we had arrived at my childhood home. Always the same, right down to the Christmas decorations that went up every year. My mom had said originally she wasn't going to decorate since I wouldn't be home, but I encourage her to for Gramma, since she could finally see them for the first time in years thanks to her cataract surgery.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, love! You should've woken me!" Bootsie apologized.

"Nah, besides you and Noel didn't seem like you'd slept much on the plane last night, I figured you could use some catch-up."

Bootsie merely wrapped an arm around my shoulders as Noel came up to us; then I saw my mom, thin as ever and my tall, built brother come out of the house, looking a bit wary of Noel and Bootsie (who, to them, must have looked like they came from a different planet). I walked over to them and up close took in how depressed and worn down my mother really looked. I could only wrap my arms around her, and as I did I felt her shake from silent tears. My brother placed a hand on her shoulder and mine as well, looking a bit awkward as he did so.

After a moment I stepped back and cleared my throat, signaling Noel and Bootsie to come closer. "Mom, Brent, this is Bootsie, the girl I'm living with... And this is Noel, my boyfriend..."

Bootsie reached out sympathetically and took hold of my mom's arm when she offered her hand out to shake, "I'm so very sorry for your loss."

Mom nodded, still a bit wary but warming, "Thank you."

Brent was sizing up Noel, who was a good few inches shorter than him as he reached out to shake his hand. Noel looked only a bit worried, but even so it was comical enough I had to keep from laughing. He switched spots with Bootsie after a moment and greeted my mom as well.

"I'm very sorry about all of this..." he seemed slightly awkward, but very polite about it as he shook my mom's hand gently.

She sniffled and nodded, then sighed, "Anyone wanna come in for coffee? Fresh pot, figure we can get some then go see Ma for a minute before we go." I wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but an iced coffee sounded good, and I knew she had ice.

'Ma' was what she called Gramma, and after a little small talk over the brew, we filed over to the house across the drive where Gramma and her sister Kaye lived. Bootsie and Noel stood back, both feeling a bit out of place from Gramma's beautifully decorated, rather traditional home. I introduced her to Bootsie and Noel, and I told her of the work I was doing at the book store. When my mom excused herself for a moment to go back over to house for something, Gramma wrote me a note on her dry-erase board and my heart crumbled (because she was on a ventillator, she couldn't talk).

_**I know your daddy wasn't much of a daddy but I'm glad you came home for your mom. She needed you.**_

I smiled a small smile and nodded, "I know, Gramma..."

She could read right through me and grabbed my hand, giving it as much of a squeeze as her feeble, weak one could manage and tears pricked my eyes.

Mom came back not long after Gramma had slowly erased the message she wrote me. She visited with Gramma for a minute and then said we should probably get going. As we left Gramma's house, Noel pulled me asside.

"I'll have the driver just take Bootsie and I - you ride with your mum and brother."

My brows furrowed as I looked at him, "Are you sure? You don't have to do that."

He only nodded, wrapping an arm around me and kissing the top of my head, "You need some time with your mum alone."

I smiled, grateful but already missing his and Bootsie's comforting presence.

At the funeral home we were greeted by one of the directors and led back to where Dad was already set up for viewing. That whole time I had managed to not feel much of anything and let my mind go blank and numb, but when we reached the room I reacted a bit differently than I had expected to. The indifference I expected to be looking down upon my father with seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke and instead was replaced with a knock to the heart and the voice of a little girl deep inside asking, _"Why couldn't you have been different?"_

Those were the hardest few days I've ever spent at home in my entire life. My mom stayed awake for hours beyond what her normal bedtime was, which meant all of us sitting on Gramma's back porch talking quietly. My brother and I were my mom's rock, but then we would get back as soon as we could to spend time with Gramma before she went to bed as well, and I was able to relax a bit with her. She and my aunt had extra rooms in their house to accomodate Noel and Bootsie while I slept in my old room at home and my mom took the master bedroom back (seeing as she and my father had stopped sleeping together when I was 15 - when I moved in with my ex husband, she took my old room). But I would end up sneaking back to Gramma's and snuggling with Noel for a little while before falling asleep with him and having to wake up and get back before anyone noticed me missing. One morning after one of these nights Noel kept looking at me strangely. I finally had to cave and when we were alone, ask him what was going on.

"Last night you were whimpering in your sleep. You even had tears on your cheeks... I tried to wake you but then you calmed down so I went back to sleep."

I was surprised; I didn't do that often. "Probably a bad dream."

He rubbed my arm and gave me a look that showed his true worry, then kissed me on the temple and we didn't discuss it anymore.

We all avoided the topic of Dad for the most part, talking about anything and everything else in almost a somber tone. In a way I hated to leave my mom like this, even though I knew my brother and great aunt would be looking out for her, as well as Gramma. But I made a promise to her and myself that I'd call soon as I got back to check on her. That Tuesday afternoon we were on a plane back to London, and all I can remember is getting to the seat and not much after that.


	15. The Ice Is Melting

With only a couple of days until Christmas by the time we got back to the flat, Bootsie and I tried to get some much-needed rest before our shifts started at the book store on the 23rd. Bootsie and Marcus both tried to tell me I didn't have to come in, but I insisted - after all, the busier, the better, I thought. Noel had expressed an interest in staying the night with me, and Bootsie kindly offered us her bed, which we took after much insistance on her part. I don't know if it was due to the time changes, jet lag, or a combination of that and other things on my mind, but I didn't sleep very well that night. I laid reading a book beside him most of the night, trying to occupy my mind and lull myself to sleep when I wasn't lying awake watching him sleep.

The next day was snowwy and had its runs of busy and slow; with it being so close to Christmas many people were either off doing other things or doing last-minute shopping. Noel texted all throughout the day, and even showed up to take me to lunch.

"Mum's said they're havin' the Christmas party Christmas Eve," he finally said during a long silence between our sushi.

"Oh? That'll be fun," I said, forcing a tired smile.

"She asked if you wanted to come. I was gonna ask you anyway, but it just never seemed like a good time, what with - yeah..."

I wanted more than anything to say no. Inside, I sighed. I just wanted some time alone... no one hovering over me asking if I was alright, no trying to fake being happy. I credited half of this to my exhaustion, the other half to a feeling I couldn't quite shake ever since being back home for Dad's funeral... but this was important to him, I could tell. "I'd love to come."

His face brightened as he smiled and placed his hand on mine, leaning over the table and kissing my cheek. "Great! She'll be so happy!"

Seeing him smile and feeling his lips brush my cheek made my frosty-feeling heart melt a little and I smiled my first genuine smile in a couple of days.

Near the end of mine and Bootsie's shift, Liam came bursting into the shop, his bushy hair and shoulders showcasing the snowflakes that had managed to attach themselves to him on his way inside.

"Happy Christmas, Kelsey!" he said brightly, loping up to where I was straightening a shelf of books and hugging me tight.

I couldn't help but laugh as the cold snow touched my cheeks and chin, "Merry Christmas, Liam!"

"Marcus told me about yer dad, and you have my sincerest condolences," he pulled back, looking serious for a moment before pulling me in for a slightly more somber, gentle hug.

"Thank you..." I replied quietly, enjoying the hug.

He pulled away once again and flashed me a grin, "I've brought ya a little gift," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"Aww, Liam, you shouldn't have!" I took the small package that he handed me, examining it for a moment. I could tell he had wrapped it himself - the paper was crooked and didn't fully cover the box on the bottom. Before I unwrapped it, I ducked back behind the desk and handed him his gift - I had hand-drawn his, as well as my other friends here in England's, Chrsitmas cards and the ones that contained gifts, were gift cards to the book shop.

While he unwrapped his, I unwrapped mine and found a cute TARDIS pendant on a silver chain.

"Oh my gosh I love it, thank you!" I giggled, taking it out of the box and putting it around my neck.

"You're welcome, love. Did you _draw _this?" he asked, holding up his card.

I nodded, blushing a little, "Yes, I did."

"This is incredible! The tree, the glowing fireplace... even the reindeer and sleigh, and snowman outside of the window!" Then he opened the card and found the gift card. "Oh, Kelsey, you've just made me such a happy man!"

We hugged it out, both of us absolutely beaming over our Christmas gifts.

"So what're you doing for the holiday?" I asked.

"Goin' to see the family fer a few days," he replied. "How about you?"

"I already know I've got a party with Noel's family Christmas Eve," I replied, "and I think I'll be hanging out with Noel, Bootsie, and Marcus Christmas at some point."

"Sounds like you've got a lovely holiday lined up," he said after a brief pause, a half smile on his face. "Well, I'd best be off. Cheers, and Happy Christmas!" he pulled me into a hug once more.

"Happy Christmas, Liam. See you soon!"

"Never soon enough!"

I chuckled as he walked out of the door, then worked on finishing up my duties for the day and then waited for Bootsie so we could head on home. She teased me a bit about the necklace and the crush she was sure Liam had on me, but I just laughed it off as her giving me grief. As soon as we got home and I changed into comfortable clothes, I ended up passing out on the sofa. Somewhere within my slumbering state, I remember being semi-awake and hearing Bootsie's phone ring, then her answering. "Fielding! What's the occasion that you grace me phone with your lovely voice?... She's conked out on the sofa, mate... Yeh, almost soon's we came in she passed out..."

I woke briefly later to Bootsie, who was asking me to move so she could pull my bed out. I remember almost falling back asleep standing. As soon as I hit the bed, I don't remember anything until about 8 Christmas Eve morning.

The snow from the night before had accumulated some and was a good few inches deep. The sun shone a bit through the clouds, making it sparkle on the windows like little damp diamonds; it was really quite beautiful. I found myself walking over and admiring the semi-stillness and beauty of the early morning. I wasn't entirely over my trip home and all of the emotions it brought with it, but I felt myself getting better and that was a start.

I looked at all the little presents under the tree and the ones already stuffing the stockings on the wall beside it and couldn't resist crawling under the tree to plug it in and watch the lights twinkle for a little while before the day really began.

The next thing I remember, Bootsie was shaking me softly. "Oi, did you plug the tree in, love?"

Once I realized that I had fallen asleep again I chuckled a little, "Yeah, I did. Guess I dozed off watching it. What time is it?"

"Twelve."

"Wow... okay so that was slightly more than a doze, then."

"What time did you do this?"

"'Round 8:30."

"Well, I'd say you're about all caught up on your sleep then, yeah?" Bootsie smiled, then sat beside me, "How ya feelin'?"

I smiled back, "Better."

"Good," she pulled me into a side hug. "I was beginnin' to worry. I know Noel was, too."

I cringed, looking at her mock-shamefully. "Sorry."

Suddenly I heard my phone go off with Noel's text ringtone and grabbed it to take a look.

**Morning luv**

My stomach still got butterflies any time I got a text from him and read it in his voice. Ooh, his voice...

**Afternoon, babe! :P**

**Cheeky :p how are you feeling?**

The corner of my mouth twitched up into a haf smile.

"Is that Noel?"

"Yup."

"I thought so, ya got that daft look on yer face."

I promptly threw a cushion at her, causing her to chuckle and walk back toward her 'room.'

**Better :)**

**Good. You fancy some shopping? I need to get Mum's Christmas present**

**O.o LOL, okay**

**O.o ?**

**That's me giving you a 'Wtf are you serious' face.**

**Oh you'll have to show me what that looks like in real life**

**Sure, just make me think that and it'll come naturally.**

**I'm sure at some point in time I will**

**You're Noel Fielding. I have no doubts of this.**

**I just had an overwhelming urge to pet you...**

***snort* In what way are you refering to petting?**

**... Horrible. Just horrible. Mind's all in the gutter and I'm thinkin bout pettin your head you freak!**

I absolutely burst out laughing, making Bootsie shoot me a glance from the kitchen. I showed her the thread and she laughed as well.

**:P When did you want to shop?**

**I'll come 'round in about an hour**

**Okay, see you then! **


	16. Christmas Eve and Childhood Bedrooms

Around an hour later, I heard a knock and answered to who very well could have been Frank Zappa had I not known he is dead. Suddenly the mustache came off as did the sunglasses and hat and I was pinned back against the shutting-door by Noel.

"Hello, love."

"Well hello, yourself!"

He kissed my lips tenderly and we just stood like that a moment, taking each other in, before Bootsie shouted, "Oi, go get a room!"

"_That _comes after we get my mum's Christmas gift!" Noel said as he turned to Bootsie, then turned back to me wiggling his eyebrows, which made me giggle like a schoolgirl.

"Right, well you two have fun! See you back here 'round 3 tomorrow?"

"You've got it! Have fun with Marcus!" I replied.

"Oh you know I will, love!" Bootsie winked as I slipped into my coat and grabbed my purse and overnight bag, all the while Noel was putting his disguise back together.

"Ooh, where'd you get that?" Noel asked, playing with my TARDIS necklace a little.

"Liam got it for me for Christmas! Ain't it neat?!"

Bootsie told me later that the look that flashed in Noel's eyes as he took this information in was less than happy as he replied, "Oh, cool."

We headed to London to do our shopping and wandered around several different stores just looking around.

"Well what kind of stuff does she like?" I asked. We had managed to find a couple of things for his dad and brother, but his mom was what he was really having trouble with.

"That's just it, she likes anything, really," he replied, "but that's my issue. I don't want to get her _just _anything, you know?"

I sighed, patting his shoulder in mock-sympathy, "I understand your pain."

He snorted. "Always got a quip, haven't ya?"

"Not always. Sometimes I come up with a comeback three days later and smack myself in the head for such a slow brain process."

He gave me a look that I could actually feel, seeing as his sunglasses were blocking his eyes. "And uhm, you haven't considered that smacking yerself in the head is _why_ yer brain has trouble functioning?"

This made me give him a look, earning a laugh.

"Does she like candles?" I asked as we passed a shop with lots of nice, high-end looking candles in it.

"Yeah, she does. Hm, never thought about that."

"Oh my goodness, I was a fiend for Bath & Body Works candles back home. Well, a fiend for Bath & Body Works anything!"

"Alright, let's see if we can't find some she'd like."

Going candle-smelling with Noel Fielding is an interesting experience. I don't know if his inability to taste much hinders with his sense of smell, but some of the candles he and I smelled didn't smell anywhere near the same.

"Doesn't this smell like fish and chips to you?" he asked me, holding out a candle.

I sniffed it, furrowing my brow and looking at him like he'd grown two heads, "It's a doughnut kinda smell, babe."

"Really?!" his voice got to that high-pitched kinda squeak as he brought the candle back to his own nose and smelled it. "Hmm. I don't think she'd much like a doughnut smell, anyhow."

I just shook my head, trying not to laugh as we continued walking through the shop and sampling the many scents they had to offer before we picked the ones we thought his mom would like the best, then took them up front to have them giftwrapped.

Noel called Raymond to let him know we were ready when he was, and ended up meeting him where he'd went to go and get a bite to eat at the food court. We both decided that food sounded good as well, so we went to a little cafe to get a quick, small something to tide us over until dinner in a mere few hours.

We'd managed to snag a spot to ourselves near the back and so he felt confident taking his hat and mustache off while we ate. Somewhere around midway through we fell into a silence and I could tell something was weighing on his mind, but I knew he wouldn't talk about it here. So I waited to question him until after we were back in the car and the window between us and Raymond was pulled.

"What's up, buttercup?" I asked as we pulled out onto the motorway. The sky was now grey and little flakes of snow began to fly by the car.

"Buttercup?" Noel gave me a weird look for a moment before he broke out into a grin. "In what way?"

"I dunno, you seemed like you had something on your mind back there in the cafe..."

"Oh, that..." he played with the hem on his red and black plaid mac for a moment before turning to me. "Those nights when we were at your grandmum's and you would whimper in your sleep... those weren't just nightmares, were they?"

I sighed, knowing eventually this would come up. "They were, but... I didn't have a happy relationship with him. I tried, I really did... But he'd always do something to mess it up. He was so harsh, so hypocritical. It kills me, he claimed to be a Christian and even had the nerve to talk to my little cousin about lying being a sin, just because he was telling a small fib to get my mom to come over for her own SURPRISE birthday party... He said and did these things in the name of Christ, but he was one of the worst kinds of sinners, I think. Children... Children are innocent. It's okay to get frustrated, irritated, what have you - but don't take it out on them. Don't yell at them just because they're louder than your stupid ballgame... Don't hit them. Don't humiliate them in public, especially when they aren't doing anything that bad..."

I felt his arm wrap around me somewhere in that moment and pull me close.

"Now and then have dreams of him coming after me... sometimes I have dreams of turning it around and giving him a piece of my mind. These dreams... They were of a man he wasn't. A kind, gentle, DADDY kind of man. And in each of those dreams I watched that man die and couldn't save him. Then there was one where I was running, then I tried to barricade myself in a room, but he got to the door before I could shut it. I was terrified..."

I sighed, sniffing back the tears that threatened to spill over onto my cheeks and looked over at Noel.

"So... that's what those were."

His eyes mirrored mine with sadness and pain, but also held a glimmer of anger and an uncertainty of what to do. His hand came up to my cheek and rubbed it with his thumb for a moment. I leaned a little closer, as did he, and our lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. By the time we got back to Noel's, I was leaned against his chest and he was sitting sideways, facing where I was originally sitting, and we were a tangle of arms and necks. But we untangled and brought my bags inside as well as Noel's family's gifts.

We arrived at his parent's home around 5:30 that evening by way of Raymond's replacement driver, Antony. Raymond was officially off for the rest of the week for the holiday. Antony was a younger man with a goatee and kind brown eyes, but who didn't have much at all to say.

This party was for close friends of the family, as well as the immediate family. Julian Barratt was even invited, so I would actually be meeting Julian and his family as well.

The Fielding's home was decorated beautifully, but not overdone, on the inside, with a pretty wreath on the door outside that had twinkling multi colored Christmas lights in it that invited you to behold the simplistic beauty inside. We sat his family's presents, as well as a couple of extra gifts that he already had at his flat, under the brightly-lit and ornamented tree with the ones that were already there. Noel had told me on the way over that they had a game where all the guests bring one gift and they draw numbers for each one, but that they as a family exchanged their gifts at midnight. I thought that was a sweet idea, and imagined this tradition with Noel as a small boy, even a teenager.

We had arrived well before some of the guests, so we greeted his parents (who seemed really happy to see me again) and his brother, Mike, and I actually recognized him as one of the men Noel was hanging out with the night that I tripped over him.

"His ways may be odd, but it looks like it works," Mike teased us both in his quiet voice.

"Oh 'ere we go, you're no better than Dad, thinkin' I stalked her out like some predator or something!" Noel ended with a laugh, pulling me close.

"Pedophile more like, ya old man," Mike snickered, causing Noel to playfully clock him upside the head. I couldn't help but dissolve into giggles.

The other guests began to arrive in droves and in between dinner and mingling, I was introduced to family friends of Noel's. Some of them took an interest in my being American and there were a few who even asked if I was planning on staying. His mother was present during one of these times and her kind eyes regarded me with interest.

"I... don't know. I'm living with a room mate and I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome, you know," I replied, trying not to show that I was just a little flustered. I felt Noel's hand comfortingly on my back. I guess if anyone could tell, it would be him.

Sometime after the guests exchanged gifts via the Secret Santa method, Noel quietly took my hand and led me upstairs.

"This is usually the time when the drinking part of 'eat, drink, and be merry' comes in. Slightly intoxicated Christmas carols," he snickered, flashing me that beautiful smile as he glanced back at me.

I giggled, imagining all of those seemingly-proper English people singing Christmas songs drunkenly around his mother's piano.

We reached the next floor and walked a few paces down the hall where Noel opened a closed door. A slight draft floated out, but nothing too uncomfortable, as we stepped into a room with posters falling off of the walls, a full sized bed, a night stand, and a bookshelf with a few things like records, an older record player, a tape player, tapes, and some other odds and ends on it.

"Welcome to my old room," he said, gesturing his arms out.

I lifted a corner of one of the posters and saw it was of Adam Ant, then there was another of Roxy Music.

"I would've taken those with me, I just never got around to it. Then once I got my own place, I had so much stuff from when Julian and I were living together, it just never happened..."

I nodded, then sauntered over to the bookshelf and took down his small stack of records, sitting on the bed to flip through them. Sure enough, there was some Adam Ant and Roxy Music in there too, as well as a few other artists I had never even heard of. Noel sat down beside me and as I was flipping through, he chuckled which caused me to look up at him with inquiring eyes.

"I'm really showing my age here, aren't I?"

I smiled, putting the records down as I turned to him, "Age is only a number. Besides, good taste in music doesn't say a damn thing about your age, anyway."

He sighed. "I know... I guess it just bothers me in a way. You know when you're young, you don't think about when you're gonna be 40 and all that. Just a couple more years and I'm right there, you know? I don't feel it..."

"You don't look it, either."

He smiled. "That's my inner child doin' that... or maybe it's the little goblins that hide under me bed and smear pritt stick on me face. Maybe it's some kind of weird botox treatment."

I snorted and laughed just imagining this. Oh such a insane, beautiful mind!

Suddenly he was up and taking his record player down to plug in. Then, he flipped through his records and plucked one from them, took it out of its sleeve, and sat it down on the turntable and adjusted the needle. Next thing I knew, 'Strip' by Adam Ant was playing on a low volume, only loud enough for us to hear it. The way Noel stood in front of me at that moment, he reminded me of a nervous teenage boy.

"I've always wanted to do this... I guess it's just something I never got around to. Til now."

I blushed and smiled, very flattered that I was the one he was finally performing somewhat of a teenage fantasy with. I stood as he peeled off his sweater and stood in front of me in the streetlight coming in through the window of his boyhood room with nothing but his jeans and boots. It was a surreal moment and I almost couldn't find my breath.

I got out of my top as well and cast it to the floor; my eyes met his and I began to melt. His hand cupped my face as he kissed me for a moment, then stepped back and unbuttoned his tight jeans, almost peeling those down his legs along with his underwear, causing him to spring free. He kicked his boots off then sat on the bed and watched as I undid my bra and slipped it down my arms and let it fall to the floor, then undid my jeans and slid them down my legs. I kicked off my boots so I could slip the jeans off and that left only the little thong I had worn. Noel appreciated this and motioned with his finger for me to turn around so he could see everything.

"Baby, you know what that thing does for your arse?" he breathed.

I giggled, "Obviously something right!"

"C'mere you!" I suddenly felt him grab me from behind and pull me onto the bed with him, flipping me onto my stomach and spanking me. This was different!

At first I was in shock, but then couldn't help but become even more aroused than I already had been; the record went quiet with nothing but a light scratching noise around this time. When he'd gotten the spanking out of his system, I rose onto all fours and turned around to face him and was confronted with him holding my bra in his hands and smirking. I tilted my head to the side and gave him a curious look. This merely made his smile wider as he pushed me back and positioned me where I was lying on my back, then he was binding my hands together above my head.

"Hmm... I think I like you like this..." he practically purred into my ear before rising once more and walking over to the bookshelf. I couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but I heard a rattling, then a couple of springing noises, then music. 'You Shook Me All Night Long' played quietly through the speakers of Noel's tape player as he climbed back onto the bed over me. "Mix tape I made ages ago... I'm surprised the bloody thing still works," he rasped, then his lips met mine, biting, sucking, and teasing.

I was helpless, unable to touch him, and it was driving me crazy. I wanted to sink my fingers into his hair, scratch his back, grasp his shoulders, his manhood - anything. The denial was frustrating and sexy.

His lips made their way slowly, agonizingly, up and down my body. Once they came back up from my legs, he caught the waistband of my thong in between his teeth and began pulling them down. I lifted my hips as he slipped it down and off, then he dropped it at the edge of the bed and turned back to me. Slithering up my body, his mouth met mine once more and suddenly I felt his fingers playing me like a guitar. My hips bucked and I made muffled sounds, and had his mouth not been on mine there is no doubt I would have been responding to his deft fingers with a song all my own.

Slowly his mouth crept down my chin, my neck, all the while his fingers massaged and penetrated me, causing hushed moans and gasps to escape me. Then his tongue flicked my nipple and my hips bucked again, riding his hand as my back stayed arched.

He continued this teasing torture for another moment or so before crawling between my thighs and leaning to whisper into my ear. "D'you want me to fuck you, baby?"

I whimpered and nodded, wrapping my legs around his waist to emphasise my point (and try to get to his). I practically heard him smirk as he slowly rose, propped himself up, and then I felt his length enter me _so_ agonizingly slowly that I thought I would die before he made it inside entirely. I tried to buck to move quicker but he grabbe my hip and tutted me. "Naughty girl." I pouted and waited for him to continue. After a moment, he did, and once he was inside, he withdrew just as slowly. In and out, just a little bit faster every time, I felt every inch and it was driving me insane.

I tried not to moan too loud or scream, as something about being caught in his old bedroom in his parents house having sex didn't settle well with me... but turned me on as well.

I heard his sharp intake of breath as he began feeling me tighten even more around him, and he finally allowed me to buck against him. Then he got on his knees and pulled me forward, holding my hips in his hands and guiding them over his throbbing cock.

I gasped and moaned, then suddenly I felt myself being lifted to where I was practically sitting up. I used my feet to gain leverage and lift my hips up and down off of him. I dropped my still-tied hands behind his neck to hold on as his mouth suctioned onto my nipple, sucking and biting it and causing me to almost scream, but he offered me his finger instead so I bit and sucked and was complacent with just moaning.

Then it hit me wide open and I gasped and moaned, tightening around him, then I heard and felt him explode as well. We rode it out long and hard, then slowed and came back down together. When we were spent he laid me back and undid my wrists, then laid next to me as he caught his breath. After a moment I heard him chuckle.

"Hmm?"

He just sighed, propping his head up on his hand, "Just thinkin'..."

"Oh?"

He half smiled. "First time I tied you up was in my old room... Somethin' about just torturin' you in here was just... I could've gone on longer but I was fit to be tied when we started."

"Hmm... maybe I'll tie you up next time."

"Oh Christ, you're tease enough when I'm _not_ tied up. I'd break loose and rape you!"

"Can't rape the willing."

"Hmmm," he broke out into a grin and laughed, kissing my nose and holding me close.


	17. Midnight Tidings

We came back downstairs to see that we hadn't really been missed... except perhaps for one pair of eyes that was very observent, and those belonged to Julian. The piano still jangled off-key Christmas songs and a few even more off-key voices sang along.

"Still actin' like a teenager, I see," he said as he walked up to us.

Noel just grinned and chuckled, then gave him a hug. "What better to act like?"

"For you, true. I've got little nippers, teenage impulses must wait, son," Julian replied.

Noel gave a conceding smile, then wrapped an arm around me. "Julian, this is Kelsey. Kelsey, Julian. It got crazy earlier and I never got to properly introduce you."

"So this is Kelsey, aye?" he crossed his arms and smiled with an expression I couldn't quite read. "Very nice to meet you."

"You, too," I replied, smiling as well.

"So... Go fer a fag?" Julian asked Noel.

"Alright," he replied, then the headed for the door. He looked back and noticed I wasn't behind him and gestured for me to come along. I smiled and shook my head, making a hand motion for him to run along. I knew it was rare for him to actually hang out with Julian one on one and from the look on Julian's face, they had things to talk about. Noel gave me a slight frown, so I giggled and blew him a kiss, which appeased him as they went out the back door.

Meanwhile, I found a spot to perch on the couch and watched everyone talking, socializing, some still by the piano singing, and what few kids were there played with their new toys together. It was a warm, happy environment, much like what I had seen in movies.

Mrs. Fielding was next to me within a moment or two, "Saw Noel and Julian heading off to the back."

I nodded, "Yeah, think they were going to smoke."

She nodded as well, "They're great mates, those two. Dave couldn't make it, otherwise them three and Mike would be having a night of it!"

This made me giggle, thinking about the guy who played Bollo, Julian, Noel, and Mike all together. The Boosh all in one room - what an image!

"They didn't ask you along?"

"Noel tried, but I don't wanna get in between their boy time."

"Oh love, he wouldn't have minded. And if Julian had he would've told him where to stick it. He's not shy about it when he feels strongly about something..."

I didn't honestly know if her way with speaking riddles enchanted me or weirded me out, but she was so sincere and open. The words _future mother-in-law _echoed in the back of my mind and I had to shake it off.

"Now let's go here in the kitchen. Take these hot cocoas and see if they want them," she said, beckoning me to follow. I did, and I took the two hot cocoas in hand and went toward the back.

Before I could even put my hand on the knob I heard Noel speak loudly, which wasn't like him.

"... she's 24, what of it, Julian?"

"I'm just sayin', ain't she a bit young? Yer almost twice her age!"

My heart stopped a moment as I stood back, waiting for things to either subside or to head back into the living room.

"I know, but she's such an incredible woman! And yes, she is a _woman_! Not just some little girl."

It was silent a moment. Then Julian asked, "Are you serious about her, mate?"

Noel emitted a noise that sounded like a hybrid of a scoff and a growl, "When have I _ever_ brought a girl home to meet my _mum_ that I wasn't serious about, Julian?!"

Once again, it was quiet a moment before Julian spoke, "I know... I guess I just couldn't wrap me head around it. Especially after that one girl years ago ya were with who was so young..."

"That was a different time, though," Noel replied, quite a bit softer than before. "Kelsey ain't... she's a good girl... for the most part," I heard him chuckle.

Julian chuckled as well. "I think I know what you're getting at, and you can keep that to yerself, mate."

They both laughed, which relieved me.

"You've gotta hang out with us, with her, sometime. You'll see," Noel said.

"You're happy... and you look good. It's good to see, too." Julian commented.

I waited a moment, then walked out of the back door, shivering almost immediately from the cold blast. "Hot cocoa?"

Noel grinned, "Oh you're a diamond, love, cheers!" he took his mug and wrapped an arm around me.

Julian took his mug and smiled as well, nodding, "Thanks, Kelsey."

"Well, I'll get back on inside - "

"Join us fer a bit, Kelsey. D'you smoke?" Julian offered me a cigarette.

"No," I shook my head.

He seemed surprised, then shrugged, putting the pack back in his coat pocket. I snuggled into Noel a little more when a sudden chill hit, causing his arm to wrap tighter around me.

"So, how exactly was it you two met, anyway?" Julian asked, inhaling on his cigarette.

Noel shook his head and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, then looked at me. "Might as well tell him. What's one more person calling me some kind of predator, pedophile person."

The look of confusion that crossed Julian's face made me laugh. "Everyone's convinced he was stalking me out that night. I'd just been here for a few days and I'd finally gotten my bearings, so my flatmate Bootsie decided to take me out to celebrate..." and I told Julian the whole, sordid tale.

At first he just chuckled, then he began full-blown laughing. "And you're _sure_ you really _weren't_ stalking her out?"

Noel snuffled and half smiled, giving Julian a certain look (which I about ovulated over), "I'm about to start just ownin' up to it. Sounds like it makes a more interestin' story than it really is."

"Well she told it right, didn't she?" Julian asked.

"Yeah, right from her point of view! Poor girl was just in a dark corner of the club and I'm just a stupid, long-legged git." Noel replied in a slightly high-pitched voice.

We only stayed outside for a little while longer before deciding that freezing to death wasn't an option, but we moved the conversation inside, and along the way I was properly introduced to his girlfriend Julia and their twin boys Arthur and Walter, who were adorably precocious little four year olds. But soon the boys began showing how tired they really were and Julian and Julia decided it was time to start heading out, along with the other guests of the Fieldings' party. Close to midnight, it was only us and Mike left.

"I think it was a success, don't you?" Mrs. Fielding asked us as we helped clean up.

"Mum your parties are always a success," Noel replied sweetly, smiling and kissing her cheek, which made her face light up.

The Westminster Chimes on the clock began to toll midnight as we were finishing cleaning up the house.

"Happy Christmas, love," I heard Noel's mom say quietly in a corner of the kitchen to his dad, then I saw them snuggle together and kiss gently. Then I felt a hand on my back as I finished washing dishes in the sink.

"Happy Christmas, Kelsey," Noel whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Noel," I replied, nuzzling his nose as I put the dishes in the rack and dried my hands on a towel.

"Alright you lot, let's go have some cocoa and open gifts!" Noel's dad announced, ushering us all into the living room as he finished serving up the cocoa and put all the mugs on a tray.

It was around that time that Mrs. Fielding noticed my camera that I had brought along but had felt too shy to use at the party.

"Oh good, you can take some pictures! I never think about bringing out my camera fer Christmas," she said excitedly.

I still felt a bit nervous about it, but obliged. While everyone opened their gifts, I took candid, unobtrusive shots with no flash and came away with several good shots.

"Kelsey, these are for you!" Noel's mom handed a small pile to me after a few minutes.

I was genuinely touched and surprised, "Aww, well thank you! You didn't have to!"

"I know, but I wanted to, dear. By the way, you did an excellent job pickin' out these candles, dear!" she replied, smiling knowingly.

I received a lovely scarf in shades of blue and green (obviously Noel had a hand in this, as those are two of my favorite colors), a couple of small candles, and a beautiful bottle of perfume.

"Ohh, take a few pictures of us by the tree, yeah?" Mrs. Fielding then asked, getting up and herding the slightly begrudging men over to the tree with her, so I rose and went about getting them all 'lined up' so you could still see the tree but so that they would all show up. Then we took pictures of just the boys, then just Mr. and Mrs. Fielding. "Now let's get one of you too as well, shall we?" she piped up, taking my camera and gesturing for Noel and I to walk over and pose by the tree.

Noel pulled me close to his side and I could feel him looking at me as I explained where the button was on the camera and how to hold it for a moment before clicking to put the shot in focus. She ended up making a few different ones, but then it was time for bed, so we said goodbye and wished each other Happy and Merry Christmases before departing the Fielding home.

Mike gave us a ride back to Noel's flat so we didn't have to call his driver so late. The drive was relatively silent, but when we got to the flat I realized that was partly because I fell asleep on Noel's shoulder in the back seat about halfway there and he had to shake me awake to let me know we were home. I hardly remember even going inside and up the stairs, but I do remembre snuggling up to Noel in the bed and him kissing my head and wishing me 'Happy Christmas' one more time before I drifted off.


End file.
